Injuries have stalled the Browns’ four-man quarterback competition. They will lead to an unlikely starter to open Cleveland’s preseason docket.
Shedeur Sanders, who has yet to take a first-team snap during training camp, is expected to start the Browns’ exhibition opener Friday, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports. Recently deemed a long shot to win the starting job, Sanders will receive this opportunity due to injuries sustained by Kenny Pickett and third-rounder Dillon Gabriel.
The Browns will pass on Joe Flacco playing in this game, per Cabot, and they added Tyler Huntley — who spent the 2024 offseason in Cleveland — as another option for this contest. Pickett has acknowledged he is losing ground due to the hamstring injury he sustained, one that has Flacco positioned as the best bet to start in Week 1. The Browns have plenty of intel on Flacco, so holding out their 40-year-old option makes sense.
Sanders’ participation in the game is interesting by itself, as the fifth-round rookie is battling a sore shoulder. It is evidently not a notable enough issue to prompt the Browns to sideline him for their preseason debut against the Panthers. Gabriel joins Pickett in nursing a hamstring injury.
Mentioned for months as a likely first-round pick, Sanders saw his stock nosedive during a pre-draft process he handled poorly. The second-generation NFLer’s attitude alienated teams, and a lower-than-expected football IQ preceded a stunning drop to the fifth round. Sanders arrived two rounds after the Browns chose Gabriel, calling ownership involvement into question. Jimmy Haslam has said GM Andrew Berry made the call to draft Sanders, who was certainly a value add at No. 144. But he has not been deemed a serious threat to open the season as Cleveland’s starter. Two speeding infractions since being drafted also brought unwanted attention to the polarizing prospect.
That said, Sanders has shown improvement since being buried on the depth chart during the Browns’ offseason program. Still, not taking a first-team rep during camp does not point to a likely regular-season starting assignment. Flacco’s age and Pickett’s shaky NFL work to date could open the door for Gabriel or Sanders to make starts at some point, but Gabriel losing time to this hamstring issue does not help his cause.
Sanders’ preseason outing will give him a chance Gabriel now lacks, and it will be interesting to see if the Browns’ view of the two rookies — Gabriel has held an edge on the two-year Colorado starter throughout his short Cleveland stay — heading into the second preseason week.
Even though it’s only preseason, I think the Browns may be setting a record with six QBs under contract at one time.
So you wanted them to go into the 1st preseason game with only 1 quarterback they wanted to play? Did you read the article? Gabriel and Pickett are hurt. Watson isn’t available all year and they don’t want to play Flacco. That leaves only Sanders. That’s why they signed a guy familiar with the system in Huntley
I’m sure everyone will be very normal about this.
Good time for him to make an impression, even if its just reading defenses, since I feel he will get cut eventually. I hope he proves me wrong.
Getting cut from Cleveland isnt the end of the world but he hopes to put something good on tape for the future.
He’s not getting cut and he really likes playing in Cleveland. He’s a very humble young man….here’s his shot. Gabriel will head to IR and Sanders will shoot up the depth charts
Be nice if they have him do more than handing off or running with the ball.
I heard they signed Huntley because Sanders has a sore throwing arm – thus it is odd that they would start him.
That logic doesn’t logic for the folks in the front office
Sanders has earned this start and as a Browns fan, I’m excited to see him run the offense in the preseason.. Dillon Gabriel hasn’t looked good in camp and now his injury opens the door wide open for Sanders to pass him on the depth chart…..