When will Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders become starters? + NFL Draft lottery argument | A to Z Sports NFL Newsletter
SUBSCRIBE to our emails here: By submitting this form, you hereby acknowledge and agree to receive email communications from A to Z Sports. We value your privacy and will handle your information with care. You will have the option to unsubscribe from our emails at any time through a link provided in each correspondence. Please […]
SUBSCRIBE to our emails here:
By submitting this form, you hereby acknowledge and agree to receive email communications from A to Z Sports. We value your privacy and will handle your information with care. You will have the option to unsubscribe from our emails at any time through a link provided in each correspondence. Please review our Privacy Policy for more details about how we manage your information.
When will Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders make their first start?
While 13 quarterbacks were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, only a few of them will have a realistic shot to start games during the 2025 season. Cam Ward will be the starter for the Tennessee Titans, while Tyler Shough has a decent shot to earn the New Orleans Saints’ starting gig during training camp.
The rest? Well, unless there’s an emergency, they will all likely start the season on the bench. But that may not be the case for long for two notable names: New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart and Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders.
When will Jaxson Dart start for the Giants?
Our writer Destin Adams examined this very question in a recent piece:
The competition: “The team has built the QB room from scratch this offseason by also signing veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. So they won't feel pressured to rush Dart onto the field, but if Dart can impress the Giants brass in OTAs and training camp, it will be hard to keep their first-round pick off the field.”
Week 1 likely out of the question: “When you look at the beginning of the Giants' schedule, it's honestly for the best that Dart doesn't have to get thrown to the wolves. Three of their first four opponents were playoff teams in 2024, with the other being the Giants' NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, who are expected to be back in the playoff conversation in 2025 after injuries piling up last season.”
The best time to do it: “A commonly used practice across the league has been to give rookies the chance to start following the team's bye week that season. The Giants' bye week is scheduled for Week 14, and the team has four games remaining after. That stretch will still be very difficult with games against the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cowboys left. But it would allow Dart to get four games under his belt ahead of the 2025 season. If we are being honest, the Giants could very well be out of playoff contention by this point, so giving Dart reps to help prepare him for 2026 and hopefully boost his confidence as an NFL QB would go a long way for his development.”
When will Shedeur Sanders start for the Browns?
Our Browns writer Brandon Little discussed Sanders’ future:
The competition: “In a perfect world, a rookie could earn the starting job out of training camp, but realistically, I expect Joe Flacco to start Week 1. The Browns will likely ride with him until performance—or lack thereof—forces a change. By ‘wheels falling off,’ I mean a string of losses and a rise in turnovers.”
Keep in mind that the Browns also drafted Dillon Gabriel at No. 94 overall, 50 picks ahead of Sanders. If Gabriel impresses, it could be that much more difficult for Sanders to see the field early.
Week 1 also probably off the table: “The opening stretch of the season is brutal: Bengals, Ravens, and then three consecutive games against NFC North opponents. That five-game gauntlet ends in London against the Minnesota Vikings. It’s the toughest stretch on the Browns’ schedule. It’s hard to imagine the team throwing a rookie into his first start overseas. When they return home, they’ll face the always-tough Pittsburgh Steelers defense.”
The best time to do it: “Week 7, however, stands out. The Browns host the Miami Dolphins—a manageable matchup at home and a potentially ideal scenario to debut Sanders if he’s made the team and is ready. Starting him in Week 7 would give him two games before the Week 9 bye, offering a natural evaluation point after some real in-game experience … Of course, this assumes Sanders has either outperformed Gabriel or the team simply sees more upside with him.”
Arguments for and against an NFL Draft lottery
The Dallas Mavericks shocked the world by earning the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft despite having just a 1.8% chance of doing so. The NBA draft lottery allowed for this to happen, making fans wonder: Should the NFL adopt this same lottery strategy for its draft?
A few of our A to Z staffers weighed this question, finding a rational argument for each side. Here’s what they came up with:
Why the NFL should adopt a draft lottery format: “The NBA's draft lottery is an exciting event each year, and it helps prevent something every sports league tries to stop every season: tanking. Take this year's NBA draft lottery, for example. The teams with the top three odds for the pick were all accused of tanking to end the season: the Wizards, Hornets, and Jazz. None of them ended up getting that pick. I don't think it would be wise for the NFL to adopt the exact same lottery system as the NFL. I believe they should do a lottery for the top five picks and allow the rest to fall via the standings.” —Destin Adams
Why the NFL shouldn't adopt a draft lottery format: “The reason the NFL doesn't need to adopt said lottery is that players in the league can't afford to tank the way they can in the association. For one, 90% of the contacts in the NBA are guaranteed, as opposed to only 57% in the NFL. The earning potential is not only lower in terms of the top of the market contract value, but also in terms of career duration. Most NFL players are just hoping they remain healthy long enough to earn a second contract. That's also why tanking can't exist and doesn't really exist in the NFL. You play half speed, or without 100% effort, you get injured. So sure, can teams do things like trade away stars, or not use their cap space, leading some to wonder if they are tanking? Of course. But no one on that field is tanking the way players can on the court, and that's why the NFL doesn't need a lottery.” —Rob Gregson
Why the NFL can't adopt a draft lottery format: “The one thing that separates the NFL from the rest of the league is how they've built the entire model to maintain parity and competitiveness. There is a strict salary cap with a 90% rolling cash floor over a five-year period. The NFL is set up to be a league that wants each team to be at 0.500 from a structural standpoint. The only thing that will separate the teams from each other is the skill of the front office, ownership, coaches, and players. Having those guardrails is important to keep balance, competitiveness thriving, and prevent owners from being cheap like they are in other sports.
“The NFL instituting a draft lottery would create a litany of issues, but the biggest one would be going against the ethos of what the league is built upon. That's not something that works when you are trying to maintain parity. Just look at the Dallas Mavericks, who had a 1.8% chance to win the NBA Draft lottery after making the play in round, while they were also in the NBA Finals last year and were primed to make a playoff run, but had injuries crater the season. That's not something that will create parity throughout the NBA, especially since one player can make your franchise more than in any other sport.” —Tyler Forness
Why the NFL should, shouldn’t and flat out can’t change to a draft lottery format like the NBA to prevent tanking in the future
The NBA Draft lottery brought a massive shock to the sport world this past week. The Dallas Mavericks received the top pick, which will likely turn into Cooper Flagg even though they only had a 1.8% chance. The shock and mystery surrounding the NBA draft lottery each year always lead to people in the NFL […]
Only A to Z Sports newsletter subscribers get the rest of this email, which has the latest NFL news and more.
Don't miss out on next week's full newsletter: SUBSCRIBE to our FREE weekly NFL newsletter to receive updates on your favorite NFL team and the rest of the league straight to your inbox.
By submitting this form, you hereby acknowledge and agree to receive email communications from A to Z Sports. We value your privacy and will handle your information with care. You will have the option to unsubscribe from our emails at any time through a link provided in each correspondence. Please review our Privacy Policy for more details about how we manage your information.
