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Shedeur Sanders is making a jersey change heading into his second NFL season, returning to his roots in Colorado.
Sanders, who wore No. 12 during his rookie season, will wear No. 2 next year for the Cleveland Browns.
When the Browns made it official on social media, Sanders did as well, writing “#2” on the X to coincide with his team.
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Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns stands for the national anthem prior to an NFL preseason 2025 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 wide receiver DeAndre Carter, who wore the number for Cleveland last season, is no longer on the roster. Now that he has a year under his belt, Sanders can make the change.
And he’s doing so with his old college number, as Sanders wore No. 2 at Jackson State University before transferring to Colorado when his father, Deion Sanders, took the head coaching role with the Buffaloes.
SHEDEUR SANDERS’ WILD 2025 BEGAN WITH THE CALL, BUT IT ENDS WITH HOPE AFTER tumultuous twists and turns
While wearing No. 12 last season, Sanders started the year in a depth role as veteran Joe Flacco was Kevin Stefanski’s starting quarterback. But when Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals after Joe Burrows’ 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 wanted to be Gabriel’s backup, but after the latter’s struggles and injuries, it was Sanders’ time 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 across seven starts as he remained the starter for the rest of the season. Stefanski was then fired; head coach Todd Monken was hired, and the veteran coach who served as John Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens reiterated what the Browns said heading into 2026 — there will be an open quarterback competition.
Monken told the NFL Network at the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix on Monday that the Browns haven’t “got that far yet” in naming Sanders their starter heading into the team’s offseason program.
Deshaun Watson, who has had a turbulent Browns tenure, is back in the fold while Gabriel is healthy again heading into 2026.
Sanders certainly understands that he will have to prove himself again with a new coaching staff in the building, as that is ultimately the nature of the NFL except for a rare group of certified starters.
Cleveland Browns’ Shedeur Sanders (12) and Teven Jenkins (74) celebrate a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Cleveland on Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
But Sanders already has a Pro Bowl under his belt despite the small sample size on the NFL gridiron. He’s looking to build on the momentum from last season, but it will be a fresh start with a new number.
