The Cleveland Browns have had plenty of questions surrounding the quarterback position all season long.
Cleveland entered camp with the likes of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. The Browns have since traded away Flacco and Pickett, while Gabriel is set for his third-straight start.
However, there has been plenty of talk about whether Sanders will start anytime soon. But, Browns insider Jason Lloyd of The Athletic believes Sanders isn’t ready and doesn’t know if he will be anytime soon.
“I don’t get the impression that he’s “ready,” but I don’t know that it matters much,” Lloyd wrote. “If they crowbarred Johnny Manziel onto the field on a team that was actually in the division race, why wouldn’t they throw Sanders out there at some point, given the current mess?
“Look, we all know Sanders is a lightning rod. I don’t know what you think of him, but he comes off as quite likable in the few brief interactions I’ve had with him. It’s all the noise that comes with him that makes all of this difficult. I’ve written and said all I want to about Sanders until he takes the field. Ultimately, I believe the Browns will be right back in the quarterback lottery next year.”
If Sanders isn’t ready to play in the NFL, it’s likely a bad outlook for his future. With the Browns likely to draft another quarterback early in 2026, Sanders’ chances to be a starting quarterback would decrease that much more.
Insider Believes Sanders is ‘Talented’
Although Lloyd doesn’t think Sanders is ready, fellow Browns insider Zac Jackson of The Athletic does think he’s talented.
Jackson believes Sanders has shown flashes of being a future starting quarterback, but he agrees with Lloyd that he still needs to develop a lot more.
“I think he’s likable. I don’t think anyone has ever said or believed he’s a bad guy,” Jackson wrote. “In fact, I think the scouting reports that painted him as a talented but immature player are pretty spot on. Exactly how that’s translated inside the Browns’ walls isn’t fully known. I think Sanders’ summer showed he’s probably talented enough to eventually be a starter, and that eventually doesn’t mean right now — nor does it have to.”
Sanders was selected 144th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Browns.
Dillon Gabriel Remains Browns Starter
Although fans have called for Sanders to start games, Gabriel remains the starting quarterback.
Gabriel is set for his third-straight start, and the rookie quarterback believes he’s improving. He is also excited for his first home start.
“I think you continue to learn from each start,” Gabriel said on Wednesday. “Each time going in there there’s a lot of details that you want to fine tune and continue to get better at and get more comfortable with that. But, you know, margin for error is small as well. So, I think I knew that but continue to learn that and try to evolve to be better for this team.”
Gabriel has thrown for 430 yards and 3 touchdowns.
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