Predicting that a fifth-round rookie will be QB1 and win the starting job for the Cleveland Browns this season is the boldest of bold takes. But that's exactly what this former NFL wide receiver is predicting will happen.
This morning on Good Morning Football, former WR Isaiah Stanback didn't hold back: “I don’t care how crowded that [QB] room is — Shedeur Sanders is going to come out on top.”
I couldn’t help but nod along. Stanback highlighted something we already know in Boulder: Shedeur isn’t your typical fifth-round rookie. He’s battle tested, mentally tough, and built to turn a franchise around.
Stanback pointed out how Shedeur didn’t just play for two programs — he built them. From Jackson State to Colorado, he was at the center of two massive turnarounds. Stanback called it “building something from nothing.”
And let’s be real: that’s exactly what Cleveland needs right now.
This isn’t a shot at Joe Flacco or even at rookie Dillon Gabriel. But let’s not pretend the Browns have a cemented future at quarterback. Flacco took them to the playoffs, yes, but he's forty-years old and the leash is shorter than ever. Gabriel was a solid college QB, but Shedeur has been under a microscope since day one — and delivers in big moments.
Some folks are still stuck on his fifth-round draft status, but Stanback isn’t. He sees the intangibles. The leadership. The ability to comeback from adversity.
We agree with Isaiah. When you’re a franchise like the Browns, one that’s long struggled to find a consistent leader under center, sometimes you need to roll with the guy who’s already done what your team needs most.
Shedeur comes into programs and brings hope. He brings structure. And most of all, he brings wins.
And if you ask Isaiah Stanback — or anyone who's watched the Buffs closely these last two seasons — he’s already got the heart of a QB1.
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