Shedeur Sanders is returning his college number with the Browns for the 2026 season
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Shedeur Sanders is making a jersey change in his second NFL season, and is returning to his Colorado roots.
Sanders, who wore No. 12 in his rookie season, will wear No. 2 next year for the Cleveland Browns.
As the Browns made it official on social media, Sanders did, writing “#2” in the X to match his team.
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Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns stands for the national anthem before the 2025 NFL preseason 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 Cleveland’s number last season, is no longer on the roster. Now that he has a year under his belt, Sanders can make a change.
And he did so with his old college number, as Sanders wore No. 2 at Jackson State University before transferring to Colorado, as his father, Deion Sanders, took over the role of head coach with the Buffaloes.
SHEDEUR SANDERS’ WILD 2025 STARTED WITH A SLOW DOWN, BUT ENDS HOPEFULLY AFTER A PAINFUL CHANGES
While wearing No. 12 last season, Sanders began the year in a deep role, as veteran Joe Flacco was Kevin Stefanski’s starting quarterback. But, when Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals following Joe Burrow’s injury, Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted two rounds ahead of Sanders in the shocking NFL Draft for the Buffaloes product, took over the role.
He was going to be Gabriel’s backup, but after struggling with recent injuries, it was Sanders’ time to step up.
Cleveland Browns linebacker 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 game against the Las Vegas Raiders and went 3-4 through seven games as he continued to be a regular season starter. From then on, Stefanski was fired; Head coach Todd Monken has been hired, and the veteran coach who served as John Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens echoes what the Browns said in 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 figured it out yet” about naming Sanders their starter going into the team’s offseason program.
Deshaun Watson, who had a tumultuous Browns career, is back in the fold, and Gabriel is back healthy as 2026 approaches.
Sanders understands he’ll have to prove himself with new coaches in the building, as that’s the type of NFL without a rare group of proven starters.
Cleveland Brown’s 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 December 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
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But Sanders has a Pro Bowl under his belt already despite a small sample size on an NFL gridiron. He is looking to build on last season’s momentum, but it will be a fresh start with a new number.
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