Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be missing some key pieces on offense when he makes his fourth start against the Chicago Bears.
The Browns have ruled out right guard Wyatt Teller and right tackle Jack Conklin. Teller is dealing with a calf injury and Conklin is in concussion protocol. The Browns are already missing starting left tackle Dawand Jones and center Ethan Pocic, who are both out for the year. Joel Bitonio is the last starter standing on the offensive line.
Additionally, he’ll be without two key playmakers in veteran tight end David Njoku and rookie running back Dylan Sampson. Sanders has thrown touchdown passes to both Njoku and Sampson.
In addition, the Browns have ruled out Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward, as well as defensive tackle Adin Huntington. Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson has also been ruled out and has yet to be activated to the 53-man roster after returning to practice on Dec. 3.
Another challenge for the matchup will be the weather. The forecast calls for frigid conditions on Sunday, with a high of 10 degrees and a low of zero. Winds of about 14 mph are expected to push wind chills down to minus 20 degrees.
Shedeur Sanders Auditioning for Long-Term Spot With Browns
The Browns have named Sanders the starter for the final four games of the season, giving him some runway to prove he can be the long-term option in Cleveland.
“I’ve been really impressed by his work ethic. And that’s going back to since the moment he got here,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said on Dec. 8. “He’s still very early into his career, and he would tell you the same. You want to have constant improvement in everything you’re doing. There’s moments in these games that come up that are hard to replicate in practice. You can talk through them on tape, you can talk through them in a walk through, and then you get the rep in a game, and that’s the most valuable learning tool you can have. And I think he will only take all of that and use that to his development moving forward.”
Sanders is not trying to focus too hard on the future. He’s honed in on the matchup with the Bears.
“I just go out here and enjoy my day. Work hard. Do everything I can. If I’m here, I’m here. If I’m not, I’m not. It’s nothing in my control,” Sanders said. “So I try to control what I can control. That’s going out there, making the right reads, doing the right things, being the person I am and things will fall how they’re supposed to.”
Browns Taking it ‘One Day at a Time’ With Shedeur Sanders
The quarterback decision looms large for the Browns — a question the franchise has wrestled with for more than two decades. Cleveland holds two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, assets that could be used to pursue a long-term answer at the position. But Sanders has an opportunity to change that calculus with his play down the stretch.
“We’re excited to continue to take that one day at a time and continue to see growth take place,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said. “At the end of the year, we’ll evaluate it and we’ll continue to move forward in our focus on improvement of our players.”
Sanders is coming off his best performance of the year, going 23 of 42 for 364 yards with four total touchdowns and one interception.
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