It took almost no time at all.
Shedeur Sanders’ draft selection in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns on Saturday prompted everyone to come out of the woodwork with their takes. And some suggested right away that Sanders is looking at being cut before he ever suits up for Cleveland.
Let’s just clear this up right here: That’s not going to happen. There’s absolutely no chance.
The Browns didn’t go out on a limb on the NFL Draft’s most polarizing prospect as their second QB pick in three rounds just to cut him in four months.
Sure, it wasn’t their plan to take two quarterbacks. GM Andrew Berry explained that by pick No. 144, they just felt Sanders was by far the best player available.
For a franchise with QB woes, it’s better to take swings on two (Sanders and Dillon Gabriel) than none.
MORE: Deion Sanders’ surprise role in Shedeur’s draft slide revealed
There are a couple possible solutions here, but exactly zero of them involve cutting Sanders.
The easiest cut candidate will be Joe Flacco, who is 40 years old, on a one-year contract and looked washed in 2024 for the Colts.
Flacco can serve as a good mentor over the summer before heading off into his NFL sunset.
If the Browns prefer to keep Flacco and try to recoup some draft capital somewhere, quarterback Kenny Pickett is probably worth a sixth- or seventh-round pick in a deal to a team seeking QB depth.
Pickett is probably the best quarterback Cleveland has right now, though, so he’d likely start if he stays in town.
But please, pretty please, don’t buy in to the insane idea that Sanders will get cut.
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There’s nothing more valuable in the NFL than a starting quarterback on a rookie deal. The Browns would love for either Gabriel or Sanders to become the QB answer in Cleveland, at least for the next few years.
There’s no upside to cutting Sanders, only downside. And contrary to what his draft slide suggests, there’s plenty of upside to keeping Sanders.
He had the highest completion percentage in all of college football in 2024. He’s extremely talented, even if he has flaws.
Sanders won’t get cut. Don’t listen to anyone who suggests it. The Browns have invested too much in the risk of selecting him to not even give him a real chance.
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