NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Shedeur Sanders changes jerseys ahead of his second NFL season and returns to his Colorado roots.
Sanders, who wore number 12 during his rookie season, will wear number 2 next year for the Cleveland Browns.
As the Browns made it official on social media, Sanders did as well, writing “#2” over the X to coincide with his team.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns stands for the national anthem before a 2025 NFL preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 8, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) (Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
The move comes after receiver DeAndre Carter, who wore Cleveland’s number last season, is no longer on the roster. Now that he has a year under his belt, Sanders can make the switch.
And he’s doing it with his old college number, as Sanders wore No. 2 at Jackson State University before transferring to Colorado, while his father, Deion Sanders, took on the role of head coach of the Buffaloes.
SHEDEUR SANDERS’ WILD 2025 STARTED WITH A DROP OF THE PROJECT, BUT IT ENDS WITH HOPE AFTER TUMULTUOUS FILMING
While wearing No. 12 last season, Sanders began the year in a depth role, with veteran Joe Flacco serving as Kevin Stefanski’s starting quarterback. But when Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals following Joe Burrow’s injury, Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted two rounds ahead of Sanders in a shocking NFL draft for the Buffaloes product, took over the role.
He would be Gabriel’s replacement, but after the latter’s struggles and injuries, it was time for Sanders to step up.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders reacts on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Sanders won his first ever start against the Las Vegas Raiders and went 3-4 in seven starts as he remained the starter for the remainder of the season. Stefanski has since been fired; Head coach Todd Monken was hired, and the veteran coach who served as John Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens echoed what the Browns said before 2026: There will be an open quarterback competition.
Monken told NFL Network on Monday at the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix that the Browns haven’t “got that far yet” in terms of making Sanders the starter ahead of the team’s offseason program.
Deshaun Watson, who had a rocky tenure with the Browns, is back in the fold, while Gabriel is back healthy by 2026.
Sanders surely understands that he will have to prove himself again with a new coaching staff in the building, because that is ultimately the nature of the NFL, except for a rare group of certified starters.
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 on December 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
But Sanders already has a Pro Bowl under his belt despite the small sample size on the NFL field. He’s looking to continue his momentum from last season, but it will be a fresh start with a new number.
