The Cleveland Browns are coming out of their Week 9 bye and the 2025 trade deadline with a roster that didn't undergo many changes. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was traded, but the rest of the roster is back for Week 10.
Dillon Gabriel is still the starter in Cleveland, but as Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reports, the Browns are getting fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders back at practice.
He missed the Browns' Week 8 matchup against the New England Patriots with a back issue, but is now back at practice. However, Oyefusi also reports that the Browns aren't committing to Sanders as the backup quarterback just yet.
Browns non-committal with Shedeur Sanders in backup role despite return to practice
"Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Sanders will be limited in practice today," Oyefusi reports. "He wants to see how he responds before committing to him as QB2 on Sunday."
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Sanders will be limited in practice today. He wants to see how he responds before committing to him as QB2 on Sunday. https://t.co/1NHCowWqoA
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) November 5, 2025
The Browns are making the trip to New York coming out of their bye, as the Browns face a depleted New York Jets roster that just traded away their best two defensive players in Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams.
Coming out of their bye week, the Browns' rookies, led by Gabriel, will look to get their third win of the year and beat a 1-7 Jets team looking at a major rebuild.
But, even though Sanders is back at practice, Stefanski and the Browns haven't decided if he'll return to his spot as the number two quarterback.
More: Browns predicted to replace Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders with new quarterback in 2026
Bailey Zappe can be activated off the practice squad if the Browns decide Sanders can't go. With a few days of practice left before the Week 10 matchup, the Browns will have time to see if Sanders can go.
He won't be the starter, but if he's active and Gabriel gets hurt, the Browns need to be confident that Sanders won't be limited by his back injury.
To earn back his backup quarterback spot, full participation by the end of the week would go a long way towards Stefanski sticking with Sanders as the backup.
Even though he's not the starter, Sanders' participation in practice will be an important thing to watch as the week progresses. For now, he's set to be limited, but an increase in work coming out of the bye could have Sanders back as the Browns QB2 in Week 10.
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