When the Cleveland Browns traded Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, it marked not only the end of an era for one of the league’s premier defensive ends. The move raised a bigger question in the Dawg Pound: who will lead the Browns in 2026 and impact games the way Garrett did for nearly a decade? Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar believes Shedeur Sanders could be the ideal answer.

“Shedeur can galvanize you because you’re gonna need that now, somebody to galvanize and lead the team, because they were looking up to Myles (Garrett),” Kosar said during his recent appearance on The Dawgs – A Cleveland Browns Podcast. “And now that guy is not there, somebody needs to be that guy.”

Sanders is heading into the second season of his NFL career in 2026. Though his starting role remains unsettled, Kosar’s assessment extends beyond Sanders’ brief NFL tenure. During his collegiate career, Sanders consistently became the face of the programs he played for.

At Jackson State, he led the Tigers to consecutive SWAC championships and transformed the program into one of the biggest stories in college football, as he led Jackson State to an 11-2 record in 2021 and a 12-1 record in 2022. During that stretch, he also earned SWAC Freshman of the Year and second-team All-SWAC, as well as SWAC Offensive Player of the Year.

When Deion Sanders became the Colorado Buffaloes’ head coach, Shedeur transferred to Colorado to follow his dad in 2023. The Buffaloes immediately centered their offense around him, as he became the face of the program and one of the most visible players in the country.

While inconsistency and a crowded quarterback competition in Cleveland marked his rookie season, Sanders is entering his second year with expectations of taking a significant step forward. During OTAs and minicamp, Sanders publicly emphasized self-improvement and setting an example rather than focusing on winning the quarterback competition.

“I’m focused on developing as a player, doing everything, getting as comfortable as I can in the offense in the scheme and playing with that confidence I had,” Sanders said. “I think that’s all I’m really looking for and trying to improve every day, whether it’s mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. I’m just trying to be a better person every day. And wherever that falls into place, it’ll fall into place.”

Sanders started seven games for the Browns in his rookie season and threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and ten interceptions, while leading the Browns to a 3-4 record. Ahead of the 2026 season, however, offensive coordinator Travis Switzer highlighted Sanders’ progress in the offseason program.

“Over the last couple weeks, his progress has been impressive,” Switzer said on May 27. “Just his ability to move through progressions. His feet are getting more urgent, and he’s ready to throw when he needs to more consistently. We can continue to grow there, but his progress has been impressive.”

That is why Kosar believes that the second-year quarterback would galvanize the Browns after the team traded Myles Garrett. After spending almost a decade in Cleveland, the Browns traded Garrett to the Rams in June in exchange for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick.

Still, the Browns won’t simply hand the keys to Shedeur. They plan to name a starter before training camp, but Sanders competes with Deshaun Watson for the role. But for now, at least one Browns legend believes that Sanders should be the starting quarterback.

The Browns legend believes Shedeur Sanders should start for Cleveland

For now, the way things have been shaping up, Deshaun Watson could lead the Browns’ offense come Week 1 of the 2026 season. The 30-year-old is getting the first-team reps and is looking to get the most out of the final year of his five-year, $230 million deal before he hits free agency next year.

However, he’s facing tough competition from Shedeur Sanders, and the former Browns’ corner, Hanford Dixon, believes that the Colorado product should start for the Browns.

“Here’s the thing about Deshaun, we have been looking for the same guy that we thought we were going to get; we talked about the quarterback that he was when he was at Houston, and we just haven’t seen that,” Dixon said on the BIGPLAY Cleveland show Monday. “We have some weapons on that offense, and I want to see Shedeur get a chance to play with these guys with Todd [Monken’s] offense, and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen.”

Watson has had no professional offensive snaps after suffering a major Achilles tendon injury on Oct. 20, 2024. Besides, even if he were healthy, the veteran struggled to find success in Cleveland as the Browns went 9-10 in the 19 starts that Watson made.

Now, he’s entering the final year of his deal in 2026, and the Browns are unlikely to keep him in free agency next year. Cleveland also has multiple young quarterbacks to develop, including Sanders. So, whether it’s Sanders or Watson leading the offense in Week 1 will be something worth watching.