Shedeur Sanders vs Joe Flacco College Stats: Which Browns QB was better during CFB days?

Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft. Getting picked by the Browns was not a surprise, but where he got drafted was. Sanders was originally projected to be a top-five pick but fell to the fifth round before the Browns selected him.

Sanders is now joining one of the most complicated QB rooms in the NFL. Although the Browns do not have a clear starting QB, they have a crowded QB room. The Browns acquired veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in the offseason and drafted both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Additionally, the team has Deshaun Watson under contract, although his health status is unclear.

Joe Flacco is the most credentialed QB of the group, having won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. However, he is now 40, so it will be interesting to see if he is still the favorite for the starting job. With Flacco and Sanders now teammates on the Browns, here is a look back at which one was better in college.

Shedeur Sanders vs Joe Flacco college stats

Shedeur Sanders college stats

Shedeur Sanders' college career can be broken up into two sections: his first two seasons at Jackson State and his final two at Colorado. In his first two seasons, he showed dominance playing at a lower level of college football, passing for 3200+ yards and 30+ TDs both seasons.

At Colorado, he continued his dominant form, throwing for 3230 yards and 37 TDs in his first year. He then truly emerged as a star in his senior season, throwing at a 74% completion rate for 4134 yards and 37 TDs.

Joe Flacco college stats

Joe Flacco had a smaller sample size in college. After spending one season as a backup in Pittsburgh, he transferred to Delaware, where he started for two seasons. In his first season, he threw for 2783 yards and 18 TDs. He then improved in his final college season, throwing for 4273 yards and 23 TDs at a 63.5% completion rate.

Although Flacco had slightly higher stats in his final college season, he was playing against worse competition in the CAA. He also was not nearly as efficient a passer as Shedeur Sanders was in his final season in Colorado. So, while Flacco went on to have a great NFL career, Sanders had the more impressive college career.