Shedeur Sanders can be the ‘franchise guy,’ says Browns legend Joe Thomas

A tumultuous start to Shedeur Sanders’ career is beginning to take shape.

After unexpectedly falling from a potential top-five pick to being drafted in the fifth round, Sanders ended up being the third quarterback on the Cleveland Browns’ depth chart, in part because they traded away Kenny Pickett.

Joe Flacco was traded, then fellow Dillon Gabriel was injured, giving Sanders a chance. He won his first NFL start and has been a starter ever since.

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It’s been a mixed bag for Sanders, who has five touchdowns against six interceptions. Three of those touchdowns came last week against the Tennessee Titans, but three of his interceptions came in a 31-3 loss to the Chicago Bears.

It doesn’t help that his top target, Jerry Jeudy, is struggling to catch the ball and his offensive line is depleted, but that’s why Browns legend Joe Thomas thinks the Browns need to look beyond the box score.

“I think he’s done a really good job…I think he has a great opportunity to make a name for himself and make a case to be the franchise guy so that the Browns can then use their two first-round picks to build around him and then make him the starter throughout the offseason and into training camp and really give him every chance to win that job,” Thomas said in a recent interview with PK Press Club Digital.

“For the guys that are in that room: the quarterback coach, the offensive coordinator, the guys that teach him and coach him on what he needs to do every day, there has to be a level of trust between them… It’s very important that he understands, ‘I just have to do my job like every other guy around me is going to do their job and have that confidence,’ and whether or not they do that won’t affect their evaluation of him and the job This is a very difficult thing for anyone to do, let alone a rookie, but I think that’s the key to him being able to take these steps and prove to the Browns that he is their franchise.

Those top two players, including theirs, who currently sits at No. 4, could be enough to potentially move into the No. 1 spot for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, but Thomas said the Browns have the keys to the car and it’s up to them to unlock what they already have in Sanders.

Shedeur Sanders (12) and Teven Jenkins (74) of the Cleveland Browns celebrate a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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“I think just trying to get him to understand that he has to operate within the confines of the offense and within what they’re asking him to do. But you still don’t want to handicap and handcuff what he’s really at his best with, which is making plays off schedule, adapting to the moment, extending plays and finding those receivers down the field. That was something they didn’t get from Dillon Gabriel earlier in the season, and so I think those are things with those explosive plays, those things that maybe it’s not planned, that’s where he can separate himself…,” Thomas said. “And I think that’s really the key, because that’s what made him such a popular player in college.

“That’s what makes him continue to be a very popular player and has a lot of people rooting for him, not just Browns fans. So I think you never want to handcuff a guy based on his strengths, and you just want to try, within the confines of this offense, within the confines of what you’re asking of him, allow him to be unlocked to really dive in and lean on what he does best.”

The 2025 campaign is another year where the Browns will be home during Super Bowl weekend, but Thomas is helping fans have plans for Las Vegas simply by playing at UNO. Thomas has partnered with Mattel for the UNO Elite Championships, which are free to enter, where the grand prize is a three-day trip to Las Vegas on Super Bowl weekend.

“It’s like there’s a Hunger Games style UNO Championship going on right now, people are going to kill each other for that trophy,” Thomas joked. “As a kid, it’s an easy game to learn, it’s fun, but it’s also fun for parents. And so, as a lifelong UNO player, a lifelong UNO fan, and now that I have my own kids, we can play UNO at home, it was a good opportunity to collaborate with them.”

Browns fans are hoping to have some real interest in the Super Bowl, and Thomas thinks Sanders can give the fan base some hope.

“I think it’s a little difficult, but he’s got to do it with his game. And I think making those big plays in those moments here, making those big throws, those are the things that can give Browns fans hope, right?” said Thomas. “Obviously asking your receivers to hold up their end of the bargain, catch the football and finish those plays, but just seeing Shedeur out there, seeing him make those big plays, seeing him take this team down the field in the two-minute drill, that would go a long way toward giving Browns fans the feeling that this is the guy and reassuring them that this franchise is in very good hands with him at quarterback. So that’s what I hope we find out for the rest of the season.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

“Of course, we have a little fun with Myles. [Garrett] chasing the sack record and a few more games this season to hopefully get it. But even if it’s about Myles getting that sack record, we know that the long-term health of this franchise is entirely dependent on the quarterback position. The first Christmas present would be to see Myles get the sack record this weekend, and then see Shedeur play a great game, minimize his mistakes, and maybe have a winning drive and do the Josh Allen to Josh Allen thing, where he brings his team back, and he scores the points needed to win, and I think a lot of people in Cleveland will have a very merry Christmas a little early.