Colorado Buffaloes football legend Shedeur Sanders receives Browns QB1 prediction ahead of training camp

It's only June, but the discourse surrounding Shedeur Sanders' status within the Cleveland Browns organization is already off the rails. Despite being at the bottom of the current quarterback depth chart and failing to work with the starters in the OTA sessions open to the media, analysts continue to peddle the narrative that he's lighting it up in camp.

Shedeur has yet to practice with pads, and micro-analyzing every toss in team drills doesn't change his position in the pecking order.

Perhaps the conversation should revolve around whether the fifth-round pick just makes the roster.

One prominent FS1 analyst is far more optimistic, citing a pair of factors that might significantly benefit Shedeur's future in the NFL.

During a recent episode of his show "The Herd," Colin Cowherd laid out why Shedeur might have a chance to get under center sooner than people think.

"Shedeur Sanders has two things going for him, and don't kid yourself, this is how the league works," Cowherd said. "The owner of the Cleveland Browns, Jimmy Haslam, is really impulsive. He drafted Johnny Manziel over better quarterbacks. And in a quarterback room with zero star power, except for Shedeur Sanders, he's going to get a chance. The second thing Cleveland has going for it, Shadur has going for it, is that Cleveland's roster is the weakest easily in the division, and the early schedule is brutal. This is a team that's going to be boring offensively. You know what will make him not boring? Shedeur Sanders is taking snaps, win or lose."

Cowherd's thesis might have some merit. Shedeur has a massive fanbase that is starving for him to be relevant as a pro.

It's the offseason, and the woeful Browns are the hottest topic in the league – imagine if the games count and Shedeur is actually playing?

Cleveland could easily punt this upcoming campaign to cycle through their options at QB, with the idea that if none pan out, Texas standout Arch Manning is waiting in the 2026 draft, who has a similar star power to Shedeur with superior traits on the field.