In a year when the Cleveland Browns quarterback situation has dominated discussion, Shedeur Sanders delivered one of the standout rookie showings of the 2025 season.
In a 31-29 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Sanders completed 23-of-42 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns, along with 29 rushing yards and a rushing score.
After the game, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski made it official, announcing that Sanders will start the last four games of the season.
On Thursday, during an ESPN Cleveland segment, Nick Paulus asked whether Sanders could “actually become in the running” for Offensive Rookie of the Year, an idea analyst Emmett Golden said would require Sanders to win the next four games.
“If he wins out, I think he is the Offensive Rookie of the Year if he wins all four,” Golden said. “If Shedeur plays well and wins four games in a row, then he’ll be, what, five and two to end the year, if I’m not mistaken? Then at that point, yeah, I think he’s your offensive rookie of the year.”
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In just four appearances, Sanders has 769 passing yards, five TDs and three interceptions, along with 50 rushing yards and a rushing TD.
It’s a small sample size but one that puts him in the conversation if he repeats what he did on Sunday in the remaining four games.
Sunday’s breakout performance followed a long trail of rumors suggesting the franchise mismanaged — or even “sabotaged” — his opportunity.
Both coach Kevin Stefanski and Sanders have publicly rejected the sabotage frame, calling the chatter outside the building noise while stressing a development timeline inside it.
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Across the major sportsbooks, Sanders remains a longshot in the OROY market, positioned behind leading contenders such as Tetairoa McMillan, Jaxson Dart and Emeka Egbuka.
However, if he mirrors Sunday’s 300-yard, four-touchdown outing over the final four games, he’d project to roughly 2,000 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and around six interceptions, production that could push him into the OROY conversation.
A four-game win streak on top of that could make it even tougher for voters to overlook.
Cleveland is 3-10 and faces Chicago, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati to close the season; four straight wins would flip the narrative and produce a 7-10 finish.
