While there is a clamor in the national media for the Browns to do something about what has been a wretched quarterbacking situation, as rookie Dillon Gabriel‘s struggles have been especially difficult to watch, cooler heads tend to prevail locally, even as there is consensus that fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders should get a legitimate shot at winning the starting job at some point this year.
Now, as Sanders is dealing with a persistent back injury that caused him to be rendered inactive in Week 8 against the Patriots, before the bye week, it might well behoove the Browns to take the opposite tack as what’s being called for at the national level. Rather than moving Sanders closer to the starting role, for the time being, the better move could be to make him the QB3 rather than the backup.
That would make Bailey Zappe the backup to Gabriel, which is a more comfortable position for Zappe, as it’s a role he has played through his entire four-year NFL career.
Shedeur Sanders Could Benefit From Being Browns’ QB3
Essentially, the notion is that Sanders should either be the starter or the emergency backup, but should not make his NFL debut in mid-game relief of Gabriel. That’s the notion from veteran Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot.
Speaking on the Cleveland.com “Orange and Brown Talk” podcast, Cabot said QB3 is a good idea for Sanders.
“In my opinion, I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world to have Bailey Zappe as your backup for a few weeks,” she said. “Because in the event that you would need to spell Dillon, give him a break, I think Bailey would be the better person to go in cold like that coming off the bench and just get thrown into a situation. He’s used to that. He has done it before.”
Browns’ Bailey Zappe Has Been a Relief QB Before
Zappe, in fact, has made nine starts in his NFL career, and made six appearances off the bench, from his time backing up Mac Jones in New England. In his two years at Colorado, Sanders started all 24 games in which he played.
“Shedeur has never had to do that. I don’t know if you want his first action to be one play away, coming off the bench, get thrown in against a defense that is ready to just disguise its looks and confuse you and sack the heck out of you,” Cabot said. “I just don’t know if that is the situation for him. So if he has to sit out another game, I actually think that could be beneficial for everybody involved.”
Browns Not ‘Fudging’ Shedeur Sanders Injury
When it comes to Sanders’ back issue, there has been speculation that the Browns are inflating the severity of the back injury to take some of the heat off the team for not playing Sanders–if he’s hurt, then of course he can’t play.
Cabot said that wouldn’t make much sense for the Browns, though.
“I really don’t think that there is any gamesmanship going on with Shedeur Sanders’ back injury right now,” she said. “The Browns are not foolish enough to make something like this up or fudge it in any way. If Shedeur Sanders is out with tightness in his back, then he has got tightness in his back. And he missed practice again today with that back injury, then that is what is going on there.”
Sanders could wake up this week and feel great, though, and retake his spot on the depth chart.
“Maybe by Wednesday, he will be absolutely fine, and he will be QB2 again in New York,” Cabot added.
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