Shedeur Sanders ditches rookie number as Browns announce change heading into 2026 season

Sanders will wear No. 2 next year, going back to his Colorado roots

Mar. 31, 2026 at 6:56am

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Shedeur Sanders is making a jersey change heading into his sophomore NFL season, as the Cleveland Browns announced he will wear No. 2 next year instead of the No. 12 he wore as a rookie. Sanders previously wore No. 2 at Jackson State University before transferring to Colorado, where his father Deion Sanders was the head coach.

Why it matters

The number change comes after wide receiver DeAndre Carter, who wore the No. 2 jersey for the Browns last season, is no longer on the roster. The move allows Sanders to go back to his college number as he looks to build on a strong finish to his rookie campaign, where he took over as the starting quarterback late in the season.

The details

Sanders started the 2025 season in a depth role behind veteran Joe Flacco, but when Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, Dillon Gabriel - who was drafted two rounds before Sanders - took over as the starter. After Gabriel struggled and got injured, it was Sanders' time to step up, and he went 3-4 as the starter over the final seven games. With a new coaching staff in place for 2026, Sanders will have to prove himself again, as the Browns have said there will be an open quarterback competition heading into the offseason program.

  • Sanders wore No. 12 during his rookie season in 2025.
  • Sanders will wear No. 2 for the Browns in the 2026 season.

The players

Shedeur Sanders

The Cleveland Browns quarterback who is making a jersey number change heading into his sophomore NFL season.

Deion Sanders

Shedeur Sanders' father, who is the head coach at the University of Colorado, where Shedeur played before being drafted by the Browns.

Joe Flacco

The veteran quarterback who was the Browns' starter at the beginning of the 2025 season before being traded to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Dillon Gabriel

The quarterback who was drafted two rounds before Shedeur Sanders and took over as the Browns' starter after Flacco was traded, but struggled and was eventually replaced by Sanders.

Todd Monken

The new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, who has said there will be an open quarterback competition heading into the 2026 season.

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What they’re saying

“There will be an open quarterback competition heading into the team's offseason program.”

— Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns Head Coach

What’s next

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The takeaway

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