The Cleveland Browns have been urged to make a quarterback change, but it doesn’t seem likely that Shedeur Sanders will be playing.
Sanders fell in the draft and was picked in the fifth round by Cleveland. The rookie has been the emergency third quarterback and has been inactive this season. Although Joe Flacco has struggled, Sanders still hasn’t played, and it’s likely he won’t play anytime soon.
Browns insider Jason Lloyd of The Athletic believes Sanders won’t play this season as he’s viewed as a developmental pick.
“Gabriel might be overwhelmed. He was a third-round pick for a reason,” Lloyd wrote. “But I’ve long referred to this season as a fact-finding mission to see what the Browns have and what they still need. They could have spent that third-round pick on an offensive tackle, which they desperately need right now, but instead they spent it on a quarterback, which they also desperately need. It’s very likely they’re taking another quarterback at the top of next year’s draft, but there’s only one way to find out what they have in Gabriel.
“If he is a mess, they can always go back to Flacco in a few weeks,” Lloyd added. “(Yes, I said Flacco, not Shedeur Sanders. It seems clear Sanders is viewed as a developmental pick. Barring injury, I don’t expect to see him on the field anytime soon.)”
Even though Flacco has struggled, Lloyd still doesn’t think Sanders will see the field anytime soon.
Instead, Sanders continues to be the scout team quarterback for the Browns and looks to get better in practice before potentially seeing the field this season.
Insider Expects Browns to Start Gabriel
Cleveland’s offense has continued to be an issue, and fans have called for Flacco to be benched.
However, coach Kevin Stefanski has made it clear that Flacco will remain the starting quarterback for the time being. But Lloyd expects Gabriel to take over in the very near future.
“Teams are often hesitant to play rookies too soon, fearing they will break their confidence and damage their future with the organization,” Lloyd wrote. “But does that really apply to Gabriel if the Browns are intent on taking another quarterback next year, anyway? Gabriel is 24 years old and has more than 60 college starts. This isn’t a raw rookie. He’s 10 days younger than Jayden Daniels. He’s older than Caleb Williams, C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young. He’s 10 months younger than Trevor Lawrence, who is in his fifth season.
“Gabriel might be a rookie, but he has seen plenty of football… Gabriel’s time is fast approaching. If it isn’t next week, it will come soon enough. Another name for the quarterback jersey, another glimmer of hope amid despair. Twenty-seven years and still looking,” Lloyd added.
Gabriel has appeared in two games for the Browns, going 3-for-4 for 19 yards and a touchdown in relief of Flacco.
Sanders Believes He’s a Starting QB
Sanders had hopes of being a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but that wasn’t the case.
The rookie fell to the fifth round and has served as the scout team quarterback for the Browns. However, Sanders believes he’s a starting quarterback in the NFL.
“If you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that,” Sanders told ESPN Cleveland.
Sanders will continue to be inactive for the Browns.
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