The Cleveland Browns have loved nothing more over the years than a “bridge quarterback” to hold down the position until the latest, greatest rookie draft pick is ready to take over at the game’s most important
position.
Starting with Ty Detmer, who lasted until halftime of the season opener in 1999, and continuing through luminaries such as Jeff Garcia, Trent Dilfer, Jacoby Brissett, and Robert Griffin III, the names carry a prominent place in franchise lore.
In 2010, Jake Delhomme’s name was added to the list when the Browns signed the veteran as a free agent. Delhomme had spent seven seasons with the Carolina Panthers, leading the team to the Super Bowl in 2008.
Delhomme’s time in Cleveland was short, just four starts in 2010, followed by a single appearance with the Houston Texans the following season before retiring.
The former Pro Bowl quarterback and current third-generation horse owner recently sat down with Kyle Odegard at Casino Beats to discuss a variety of topics, including his thoughts on Cleveland’s current Pro Bowl quarterback, Shedeur Sanders.
Delhomme was part of Carolina’s preseason television announcing team in 2025, so he had the opportunity to see Sanders’ preseason debut, where the rookie threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
He also watched a few of Sanders’ starts during the regular season and believes that Sanders has a chance in the right situation:
“Yeah, that’s going to be interesting. I’m anxious to see the hire (as head coach). Who’s going to be the hire, right? And, you know, I called Shedeur’s first game this year, a preseason game. They played in Carolina. So I was actually there and watched him play. I spoke with a couple of people before the game from Cleveland, and they had high praise for the kid. Loved him, loved his attitude, loved everything about him. And they all said the same thing. It was like, ‘We just don’t think he’s ready yet, but we like him a lot as a person.’ That was one of the big things because he’s such a lightning rod.
“But, man, he can pass the football. That’s one thing that he can do. I think rush-wise, like any young quarterback, he doesn’t feel it sometimes. But I think that can come. He escapes out the back of the pocket sometimes, and that’s hard in the NFL. But, listen, he did a pretty good job this year.
“He’s got a chance. I tried to watch a couple of the games this year. Passing the football – he passes it. There’s two different types of quarterbacks, right? There’s a thrower, and there’s a passer. A thrower, usually those strong arm guys, they don’t know how to pass the football, where you can layer the football, you can manipulate some throws. And I think he has that. I believe he possesses it, because I’ve seen too many layered throws from him.”
There is still a long way to go for Sanders after posting one of the statistically worst seasons from a rookie quarterback in the past 25 years. But, as Delhomme pointed out, a lot of that will depend on how the next head coach, whoever that may be, judges the situation to determine if he wants to work with Sanders or not.
