After an encouraging preseason debut, QB Shedeur Sanders is likely to miss the Browns’ next game with an oblique injury. Listed as the Browns’ fourth QB, the rookie will have to delay his climb up the depth chart. The team announced a short time ago that he will miss tomorrow’s practice and is unlikely to play Saturday.
#Browns update on Shedeur Sanders: Further medical testing revealed an oblique strain. He's day to day. Won't practice Thurs vs. #Eagles and unlikely to play in the game Sat.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 13, 2025
A fifth-round pick out of Colorado, Sanders entered the pre-draft process as a potential first-round pick. For various reasons, he lasted all the way to the fifth, the Browns having already drafted QB Dillon Gabriel. With Gabriel and Kenny Pickett ailing, Sanders started last week and played well.
Sanders completed 14-of-23 pass attempts for 138 yards, tossing two touchdowns in a Browns 30-10 victory. He also recorded 19 rushing yards on four attempts. He played the majority of the game, with the recently signed Tyler Huntley playing cleanup.
With Pickett and Gabriel on the mend, Shedeur Sanders is now also temporarily sidelined. He suffered an oblique injury in today’s practice. While not deemed serious, he is considered day to day. With Pickett and Gabriel still working their way back from hamstring injuries, the Browns could have just Joe Flacco and Huntley for Saturday’s game.
Despite the drama surrounding him, and a couple of speeding tickets, Shedeur Sanders has carried himself with a professional attitude since the Browns drafted him. He has gone to work and put in the time, embracing his position and not overstepping his bounds. Recently asked about his father, Deion, Sanders revealed that he asked him to stay away from Browns camp to avoid being a distraction.
In the spring, Browns beat writers wrote positively about Sanders’ performance. While not the second coming of Dan Marino, his preseason debut seemed to verify the practice reports. He clearly has talent, but the trajectory of his future, as it is with most rookies, is unclear.
Although he lasted until the fifth round, Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock was influenced by many factors outside of pure talent. He has the physical ability, as well as the football intelligence, to develop into an NFL starter. That’s why the Browns drafted him even though they had already added a quarterback.
But they’re not rushing things, or letting Sanders rush his development. Now nursing an oblique strain, he couldn’t if he tried. How this affects where he ultimately lands on the Browns’ initial depth chart remains unclear. Cleveland claims to be open to carrying four quarterbacks, but we’ll see if that ends up being true.
Recommended for you