The Cleveland Browns made a quarterback change on Tuesday by trading Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals.
With the move, Shedeur Sanders is expected to be the backup quarterback behind Dillon Gabriel and should also receive more practice time. Sanders could get some reps with the first-team offense at times, and Browns insider Tony Rizzo believes the rookie quarterback needs to take advantage of it.
“I trust my instinct. I don’t know if Sanders can play or not, but I want to see, I want to see. Here is what this is about,” Rizzo said on ESPN Cleveland. “This is about practice time for Shedeur, and this is the right move, the smart move. This is also about getting Shedeur practice reps. I hope Shedeur understands; he needs to take advantage of these practice reps. I’m guessing they are going to give him a few reps with the No. 1s, the way they gave Dillon Gabriel some reps with the No. 1s, because you are one turned ankle away from playing.”
As Rizzo notes, Sanders is expected to get some practice reps with the first-team offense. If Sanders wants to play, he needs to perform in practice.
So, Rizzo believes the pressure is on Sanders to prove he can play in this league now that he should get more practice time.
Browns Want Sanders to Play This Year
Cleveland drafted both Gabriel and Sanders this season, and the plan is for both to play this season.
Gabriel has already started a game, and NFL insider Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the Browns want Sanders to play games this season to see what they have in them.
“The Browns want Sanders to be successful when he’s out there,” Rapoport wrote. “When he plays, they want him to do so with a game plan that is made for him to thrive. As the backup, if he was forced into action, he’d be running a game plan built for Gabriel, rather than one built to his strengths. Is that fair to Sanders?
“The expectation is that Sanders will play at some point this season when he’s ready. When he does play, it would be with a full week of practice and a game plan built for him,” Rapoport added.
Although the plan is for Sanders to start at some point this season, when that will be is uncertain. But Sanders has moved up the depth chart and is now the backup.
Sanders Discusses Flacco Trade
Cleveland traded Flacco to the Bengals, leaving Sanders to be the backup quarterback.
Following the trade being made, Sanders spoke to Fox8 News about the trade and admitted Flacco was someone he leaned on. But, he is excited for Flacco to get another opportunity to start in the NFL.
“Flacco getting traded, he’s definitely somebody I leaned on for wisdom. And I feel like he helped me a lot,” Sanders told Fox8 News. “He helped me a lot with my time being here in Cleveland, and his time being here in Cleveland. So now everybody has their own destinies and has their own plans they have in life. I’m just happy for him.”
The Browns traded Flacco and a sixth-round pick to Cincinnati for a fifth-round pick.
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