PHILADELPHIA -- The Browns are hopeful that Shedeur Sanders heals quickly enough from his oblique strain to face the Rams next week in the dress rehearsal game Aug. 23 against the Rams.
Joe Flacco is expected to start that game, but the Browns would like to see their young quarterbacks, Sanders and Dillon Gabriel (hamstring) get some playing time as well. It remains to be seen if Kenny Pickett (hamstring) will be ready for action next week.
Sanders strained the oblique in early throwing drills against the Eagles on the first day of joint practices on Wednesday and sat out the rest of the session. He also sat out Thursday and will rest on Sunday during the second preseason game here.
The Browns were disappointed, because they were eager to see Sanders build on his encouraging performance in the first preseason game against the Panthers. In that outing, he put three TDs on the board in his nine drives, including two high-level TD passes to receiver Kaden Davis.
Sanders was slated for ‘a ton of reps’ in the Eagles game until he strained the oblique muscle. Kevin Stefanski said the Browns would be very careful with him because of the nature of the injury and it’s impact on a thrower, but the Browns are hopeful he can get back on the field next week.
Sanders, who has yet to take a first-team snap, isn’t realistically in the mix to start Week 1, but can gain valuable experience in live action if he can play next Saturday
Browns are optimistic Dillon Gabriel can start vs. the Eagles
The Browns will wait and see how Dillon Gabriel is feeling on Saturday morning, but are optimistic he can start vs. the Eagles in preseason Game 2 here at 1 o’clock.
Gabriel suffered a hamstring injury Aug. 2, and has been somewhat limited since. He returned to team drills on Monday, but the Browns have been playing it safe with him.
Gabriel participated in 11-on-11s in both joint practices vs, the Eagles, and finished both. But the Browns must err on the side of caution because he’s their only other healthy quarterback besides Flacco right now.
If the Browns opt to hold Gabriel out, which seems unlikely at this point, Tyler Huntley is available to start the game. The Browns might give Gabriel the start and then limit his playing time.
Ideally, they want both of their rookies to get a start in preseason in the event they’re pressed into service during the season.
WR Isaiah Bond set to sign by Sunday; NFL discipline not expected
Former Texas receiver Isaiah Bond is set to fly to Cleveland on Saturday night and sign with the Browns on Sunday. Bond had his sexual assault case dropped on Thursday, and the Browns have kept close tabs on him throughout the legal process.
The Browns also have plenty of inside intel on Bond from offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who was his Alabama coordinator in 2023. That year, Bond caught 48 passes for 668 yards and 4 TDs. Rees liked Bond a lot, and was instrumental in him landing here.
The Browns did a lot of work on Bond in the pre-draft process, including bringing him in for a top 30 visit. They wanted to draft him, but he was arrested two weeks before the draft and needed to let the judicial process play out. But they’ve done enough diligence on him to feel comfortable with his character, and seized the opportunity to sign him once the charges were dropped.
A speedster who ran a 4.39 in the 40 at the Combine, Bond should be signed by Sunday and in uniform when the Browns take the field again on Tuesday. He was projected to be a third-round pick by some experts, including The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
The NFL is reviewing Bond’s case, but the Browns are not expecting discipline based on the facts of the case and the no-bill turned in by the grand jury in Texas’ Collins County.
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