Browns GM Berry Says Sanders Showed Phenomenal Growth in 2026 Offseason

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said quarterback Shedeur Sanders showed "phenomenal" growth during the 2026 offseason. 3 "The Fan" that the improvement began in January and February and continued through real practices in May. Berry said the team is "very excited to see Shedeur's fall camp, preseason" in padded, live situations.

The comments came five months after Berry called Sanders a "work in progress" the day after the 2025 season ended. New head coach Todd Monken decided not to name a starting quarterback after mandatory minicamp the week of June 8-12, 2026. Monken extended the competition into training camp.

Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round draft pick, started seven games as a rookie. He threw seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight games during the 2025 season. Over the final eight games of 2025, Sanders recorded 275 combined scramble, rush, and passing yards, eighth-most in the NFL according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

24-second time to throw, the highest among qualifying quarterbacks since his Week 11 debut. 3 percent of Sanders' passes were thrown in rhythm, ranking ninth out of 30 qualifying quarterbacks. 9 percent of attempts after four seconds, the second-highest rate in the NFL behind Lamar Jackson.

Sanders faced 14 pressures on dropbacks when holding the ball at least four seconds, third-most in the league, and was sacked three times on extended dropbacks, tied for second-most. During the 2026 offseason, Browns quarterbacks practiced with GoPro cameras mounted on their helmets to record audio and first-person video of decision-making.

Quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian said Sanders had done "a great job of defining his footwork, playing with a base, learning the offense" in spring 2026.