The Cleveland Browns‘ seven-man rookie class is drawing rave reviews thanks to strong starts from Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin, and Dylan Sampson. On Sunday, quarterback Dillon Gabriel made his first start. The only one who hasn’t played? Shedeur Sanders. So far.
The fifth-round pick was the last player selected by the Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft, after 143 other athletes were selected before him. In other words, his career has been all about waiting thus far.
However, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “the expectation is that Sanders will play at some point” this season. However, the ideal situation would be when he can enter the game as a starter, with a game plan specifically tailored to his skillset, rather than one that better suits Joe Flacco or Gabriel.
“The expectation is that Sanders will play at some point this season when he’s ready. When he does play, it would be with a full week of practice and a game plan built for him.”
Rapoport on Shedeur Sanders
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Gabriel runs away with the job, never allowing Sanders to see the light of day in a Browns uniform. Yet, now that Flacco has been benched, the odds of Sanders getting into a game have dramatically increased.
He may not be the backup to Gabriel, but Rapoport indicated that was likely due to Flacco simply having more experience, thus being more prepared to enter a game in a pinch.
“As to why Sanders is not the backup QB on Sunday, there is one specific reason. The Browns want Sanders to be successful when he’s out there. When he plays, they want him to do so with a game plan that is made for him to thrive. As the backup, if he was forced into action, he’d be running a game plan built for Gabriel, rather than one built to his strengths. Is that fair to Sanders?”
With Sanders playing on a four-year contract, chances are he’ll get his opportunity. It may not come today, it may not happen next week, it may not even happen this year. But until the Browns identify their next franchise quarterback, the door will be wide open for anyone to take over, including Sanders.
Related: Week 5 NFL QB Rankings
avatar
Sports fan since birth. I am also passionate about cars, music, and anything funny. Minnesotan, born and raised. Maybe ... More about Andrew Buller-Russ