Shedeur Sanders isn't interested in the speculation swirling around his future with the Cleveland Browns. With two games left in a catastrophic season, the rookie quarterback is laser-focused on the present—and he made that abundantly clear Tuesday.

"I live in the present," Sanders said as the Browns began preparations for Sunday's showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. "I'm focused on this week because nothing's promised going into next year or anything. I don't think it's about feeling a commitment. It's about controlling what you can control."

The message was unmistakable: stop asking about 2026. Sanders' reasoning was blunt and philosophically honest.

"The rest isn't in my hands, so that's really all it is. I don't own the organization, so I can't promise anything will happen. You know, I'm not God. I can't dictate what's going to happen each and every day, each and every minute."

A Brutal Season Takes Its Toll

The Browns (3-12) are in free fall. Sanders won his NFL starting debut on Nov. 23, but the team has dropped four consecutive games since. Cleveland now holds the third overall pick in next year's draft—a position that could improve if the Giants and Raiders both lose this week. Both teams sit at 2-13.

The organization's collapse is staggering: after making the playoffs in 2023, the Browns are 6-26 over the past two seasons. That dismal record has cast serious doubt on coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry.

The Numbers Tell a Troubling Story

In five starts, Sanders has been sacked 13 times—sixth-most in the league during that span. His statistics paint a grim picture:

• 58.3% completion rate (sixth-lowest among quarterbacks with 70+ pass attempts in the past five games)
• 73.7 passer rating (tied for second-lowest; only Baker Mayfield of Tampa Bay, at 72.6, is worse)

The irony is sharp: Mayfield, Cleveland's first overall pick in 2018, now torments his former team from Tampa Bay.

More Injuries Compound the Crisis

The Browns lost star rookie running back Quinshon Judkins to surgery Tuesday. The injury—a fractured right fibula and ankle dislocation suffered in last Sunday's 23-20 loss to Buffalo—will sideline him for four to six months on injured reserve.

Judkins had become an offensive cornerstone. He's second among NFL rookies in rushing with 827 yards and fell just 2 yards shy of 1,000 yards from scrimmage. The Browns will lean on Raheim Sanders and Trayveon Williams at running back. Dylan Sampson remains questionable with a hand injury.

Adjusting to an evolving offensive line was already a challenge for Sanders. Now he must operate without one of his most reliable targets out of the backfield.

Pittsburgh's Rookie Killer Awaits

The timing couldn't be worse. Sanders faces a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that has decimated rookie quarterbacks under Mike Tomlin. Since 2007, the Steelers boast a 27-6 record against rookie QBs—the best mark in the league.

The Steelers sacked Cleveland's Dillon Gabriel six times in a 23-9 victory in Week 6. Pittsburgh (9-6) can clinch its first AFC North title since 2020 with a win Sunday.

For Sanders, Sunday isn't about next season or job security. It's about the only thing he can control: getting a win and playing clean football. Everything else, he understands, is beyond his reach.