Emmitt Smith Questions Browns’ QB Decision

Emmitt Smith, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, recently shared his thoughts on the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation during his appearance on “Up & Adams.” He expressed concerns about the team’s new manager, Todd Monken, for not naming Shedeur Sanders as the starting quarterback for the upcoming 2026 season.

Smith seems puzzled by the lack of clarity, especially since, as he put it, there isn’t another quarterback on the roster who seems capable of taking the lead.

“I think the coaches want to instill a sense of competition among the players, making it clear that no position is guaranteed,” Smith remarked. “They want players to fight for their spots. It’s part of how they’re approaching Shedur. They’ve gone with other quarterbacks in the past—like Drake May, Justin Herbert, and Trevor Lawrence—who were handed the job almost without hesitation.” He even mentioned Sam Darnold in this context.

His frustration is evident when he questions the Browns’ options: “What do they really have? Not much, in my opinion. So what’s the justification for not giving it to Dillon?” He adds, “From what I’ve seen, no one deserves it more than he does. Strangely, he hasn’t been given enough chances to shine. And when he does get on the field, the team looks noticeably better.”

While quarterbacks like May, Herbert, Lawrence, and Darnold were selected in the top ten of the NFL Draft, Sanders notably dropped to the fifth round.

After a rocky start with Joe Flacco, who led the Browns to a 1-3 beginning, the team decided to pull him in favor of rookie Dirion Gabriel. Unfortunately, Gabriel’s efforts didn’t yield much better results, finishing with just one win in six starts.

Then came Sanders, who managed to secure a 3-4 record when he stepped in. During that stretch, he threw for 1,400 yards, racked up seven touchdowns, but also had ten interceptions, completing about 56.6% of his passes in seven starts.

Interestingly, despite his mixed performance, Sanders earned a spot as a Pro Bowl alternate.

Unless the Browns decide to bring in another quarterback during the offseason, it seems likely that Sanders will be given the first opportunity to take the reins.