Shedeur Sanders is heading into the new season with a familiar look. The Cleveland Browns quarterback is officially switching from No. 12 back to No. 2, the number closely tied to his football journey from college to the NFL. The move comes ahead of an important offseason as Shedeur Sanders prepares to compete for the starting quarterback job.
Shedeur Sanders Returns to No. 2
Shedeur Sanders wore No. 12 during his rookie season with the Browns because wide receiver DeAndre Carter already had No. 2 on the roster. At the time, Sanders chose not to make a move for the number.
Now, with Carter no longer holding it, Sanders is changing back to the number he wore at both Jackson State and Colorado. The Browns officially announced the switch as Sanders enters Year 2 in Cleveland.
The number carries clear significance for Sanders. He built his college identity wearing No. 2, and it became part of his brand during his rise under center. Colorado later retired the number after his time with the program, making the switch back even more notable.
Last season, Sanders appeared in the final seven games and posted a 3-4 record as a starter. As he now steps into a critical offseason, the number change comes just as the quarterback competition in Cleveland begins to take shape.
He is expected to compete with Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and any additional quarterbacks the Browns may bring into the room.
Speaking at the NFL owners meetings, Browns general manager Andrew Berry addressed Sanders’ development and what lies ahead.
“That’s a little bit TBD, because I think all of our guys coming in, they’re going to learn a new offensive system,” he said.
“We’re going to have a fair amount of turnover on that side of the ball, they’ll have new teammates to learn, which is why the spring will be really important for the guys that are at the offseason program for us to really, really get a sense of their progress year over year.”
“But he’s been working really hard. I would expect him to take a step forward and we’ll deal with that kind of week by week and month by month.”
The change from No. 12 to No. 2 also raises questions about the jerseys fans bought last season, but no official update has been given on what happens to that remaining inventory.
For now, the focus remains on the field as Shedeur Sanders heads into a pivotal season with a familiar number on his back and a major opportunity in front of him.