Browns’ Shedeur Sanders ranked last among QBs by NFL execs, coaches: ‘Shouldn’t lose to him’

Nypost · Aug 04, 2026 · 472 words · By Bridget Reilly

Quarterback Rankings NFL Player Performance Evaluation

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What to know about Quarterback Rankings

The NFL preseason hasn’t even started and Shedeur Sanders is catching strays around the league.

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The NFL preseason hasn’t even started and Shedeur Sanders is catching strays around the league.

Why it matters

On Tuesday, The Athletic released its 2026 NFL quarterback tiers list, in which 50 executives and coaches rank 35 NFL quarterbacks.

Common ground

The Browns second-year signal-caller came in last place and some voters, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity, weren’t too kind about it.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Quarterback Rankings story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that On Tuesday, The Athletic released its 2026 NFL quarterback tiers list, in which 50 executives and coaches rank 35 NFL quarterbacks?
How does this story connect Quarterback Rankings with NFL Player Performance Evaluation over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/sports/browns-shedeur-sanders-sit-last-in-nfl-exec…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

help Insufficient Evidence 2

cancel Disputed 1

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Claim 1: “On Tuesday, The Athletic released its 2026 NFL quarterback tiers list, in which 50 executives and coaches rank 35 NFL quarterbacks.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources confirm that The Athletic released its 2026 NFL quarterback tiers list on Tuesday, based on rankings from 50 executives and coaches of 35 quarterbacks.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 NFL season is the 107th season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season is scheduled to begin on September 9, 2026, with reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle hosting New Engl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NFL_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Super Bowl LX was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2025 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_LX

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Football League playoffs for the 2025 season began on January 10, 2026, and concluded with Super Bowl LX on February 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California where the Seattle Seaha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_NFL_playoffs

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “Sanders, son of Hall of Fame cornerback Dion Sanders, received one Tier 3 vote, 37 Tier 4 votes and 12 Tier 5 votes.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent sources (Yahoo Sports, NewsBreak, and NY Post) confirm the specific vote breakdown: one Tier 3, 37 Tier 4, and 12 Tier 5 votes, and confirm he is the son of Deion Sanders.

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web search NEUTRAL — Sanders, son of Hall of Fame cornerback Dion Sanders, received one Tier 3 vote, 37 Tier 4 votes and 12 Tier 5 votes.Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has received a harsh take from NFL exec…
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-shedeur-sanders-ran…

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web search NEUTRAL — Browns’ Shedeur Sanders ranked last among QBs by NFL execs, coaches: ‘Shouldn’t lose to him’.Sanders, son of Hall of Fame cornerback Dion Sanders, received one Tier 3 vote, 37 Tier 4 votes and 12 Tier…
https://www.newsbreak.com/trending/top/shedeur-sanders'-brot…

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web search NEUTRAL — Sanders received only one Tier 3 vote, while 37 voters placed him in Tier 4 and 12 voters ranked him in Tier 5, NY Post reported. Several anonymous voters shared strong opinions about the Browns quart…
https://www.sportsworldnews.com/articles/80072/20260805/nfl-…

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Claim 3: “He recorded a completion rate of 56. 6 percent.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including cleveland.com and other sports reports, explicitly state that Sanders had a completion rate of 56.6% last season.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 NFL draft was the 90th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft was held at Lambeau Field and its adjacent Titletown District in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NFL_draft

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shedeur Deion Sanders ( shəd-OOR; born February 7, 2002) is an American professional football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). The son of Pro Football Hall o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shedeur_Sanders

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shilo Deion Sanders (born February 9, 2000) is an American former professional football safety. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks, Jackson State Tigers and Colorado Buffaloes…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shilo_Sanders

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “he ranked last among the group in EPA (expected points added) per pass play, per The Athletic.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that per The Athletic/Mike Sando's analysis, Sanders ranked last in EPA per pass play among the 37 quarterbacks who started at least seven games in 2025.

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web search NEUTRAL — Shedeur Sanders is fighting for the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback position in training camp. The Browns selected Sanders with the 144th pick in last year’s NFL Draft after many expected him t…
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-shedeur-sanders-ran…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Athletic’s poll results lack context. The key stat included in Sando’s analysis was Sanders ranking last in EPA per pass play among the 37 quarterbacks to start at least seven games in 2025. What …
https://dawgpounddaily.com/nfl-defensive-coordinator-s-bruta…

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web search NEUTRAL — Shedeur Sanders Ranked Dead Last Among All Veteran Quarterbacks. The Athletic released its annual quarterback tiers survey this week, a poll built from anonymous responses from roughly 50 coaches and …
https://gridironheroics.com/shedeur-sanders-ranked-worst-qb-…

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Claim 5: “The Browns second-year signal-caller [Shedeur Sanders] came in last place”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Yahoo Sports and other news reports, confirm that Shedeur Sanders (a second-year player for the Browns) ranked last in The Athletic's 2026 QB tiers list.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr. (born August 9, 1967) is an American football coach and former player who is the head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder. Nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Coach P…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deion_Sanders

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Last season, Sanders threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions across eight games (seven starts).”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (AOL, Talk Radio 98.3 WLAC, and other reports) confirm Sanders' stats from last season: 1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across 8 games (7 starts).

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “He [Watson] received one Tier 2 vote and two Tier 5 votes among 35 Tier 4 votes and 12 Tier 3 votes.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the specific vote distribution for Deshaun Watson.

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Claim 8: “Watson, who did not play in 2025 while recovering from an Achilles injury, was ranked 31st on the tier list.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm Deshaun Watson's ranking (31st) or the specific reason for his absence in 2025 (Achilles injury), although one source mentions he was recovering from injury.

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Claim 9: “The 24-year-old was only one of 37 quarterbacks to start at least seven games in 2025”

DISPUTED

There is a contradiction regarding his age. One source mentions he is 23, while the claim says 24. However, the part about being one of 37 quarterbacks to start at least seven games is corroborated by web search results referencing Sando's analysis.

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web search NEUTRAL — Sando noted Sanders was also last among 37 quarterbacks who started at least seven games in expected points added per play. That's not to say there can't be improvement.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25461557-browns-shedeur-…

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web search NEUTRAL — The league clearly views Sanders in a lesser light. The second-year pro received just one Tier 3 vote and 12 votes for Tier 5, which The Athletic described as “not a starter, period.” At least a dozen…
https://dawgpounddaily.com/nfl-defensive-coordinator-s-bruta…

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web search NEUTRAL — Shedeur Sanders started seven games as a rookie for the Browns.The Browns also have 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel on the roster, and the team continues to push the idea that Deshaun Watso…
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/browns-gm-andrew-berry-…

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Claim 10: “Monken has yet to make a decision on who is QB1 in Cleveland between Sanders, Deshaun Watson and backup Dillon Gabriel.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is corroborated by a cross-reference from NY Post and multiple web search results stating that Todd Monken has not yet named a QB1 between Sanders, Watson, and Gabriel.

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web search NEUTRAL — Shedeur Sanders ДОМИНИРУЕТ над Deshaun Watson на 3-й день тренировочного лагеря Cleveland Browns ...Daryl Ruiter explains why Todd Monken has been refreshing, Browns QB battle & impressive rookie WRs.…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSkPZ6iOJbc

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web search NEUTRAL — Todd Monken isn’t budging from his quarterback stance. During Monday’s press conference, a Browns reporter wanted to clarify what the head coach said in regards to his top two quarterbacks in Deshaun …
https://nypost.com/2026/08/11/sports/todd-monken-accuses-rep…

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web search NEUTRAL — Monken has not officially named a starting quarterback between Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel for next season. But analysts and recent developments suggest the 23-year-old is the leading c…
https://athlonsports.com/nfl/shedeur-sanders-refuses-to-shar…

+ 1 more evidence source

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.