For most three-win teams heading into Weeks 17 and 18 of the NFL slate, there is precious little reason to maintain interest in the way the final eight quarters of football pans out. But the Browns are not most teams, and, incredibly, there is plenty of reason to keep giving this bunch attention right through the final series.
Of course, there is the Myles Garrett sack-record chase, a huge potential achievement for one of the great players of all time. But of greater import to the future of the franchise is the way the quarterback chase plays out, and thus, there will be significant attention on Shedeur Sanders and what he is able to do to close out the year.
Now, Sanders will head up a slightly revamped quarterback depth chart. The team will be without rookie backup Dillon Gabriel behind Sanders in Week 17, as a late shoulder injury will keep him out. That means the Browns will need to make a roster move, and coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged that is almost certain to be an activation from the practice squad of Bailey Zappe.
Browns Will Need a Backup QB, and Bailey Zappe is Next in Line
Asked on Friday about the prospect of the Browns elevating Zappe, Stefanski told reporters, “I’d say that’s likely, yes.”
Zappe has yet to play a down for the Browns this year. He has remained on the fringe of the depth chart as the team cycled through Joe Flacco, Gabriel and now, Sanders as the starters. It’s fair to wonder, in retrospect, if maybe Zappe should not have had a shot to try to win some games for the Browns, considering the talent on the defensive side. The Browns would have had a chance at a much different season if only they’d had a league-average quarterback.
Zappe has at least shown some hope of being at that level, having gone 4-4 in eight starts with the Patriots before he bounced around and landed with the Browns. He started one game for Cleveland last year, and threw two interceptions in a blowout loss to Baltimore.
No one would mistake Zappe for the second coming of Joe Montana, but he might have given the Browns a better shot at short-term wins for a defense that is certainly built for the now.
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Myles Garrett Sack Record the Short-Term Focus
Like the bulk of the 2025 Browns season, though, that’s water under the bridge. The focus has been on Sanders and where his future lies–as the starter, as a backup or maybe not with the Browns at all.
And for now, that focus remains on getting Garrett one more sack to put him ahead of Michael Strahan, at 22.5, on the all-time, single-season sack record list. It would be ideal for Garrett, and the team, if that could come in a win over the rival Steelers at home.
“I think you guys have talked to Myles throughout this season – winning is the most important thing to him,” Stefanski said. “That’s what he’s about, that’s what we’re about, that’s why we’re working so hard. Having said that, the individual records and accolades and all those types of things that happen for our players, we want all of those things for our guys.
“It’s the greatest team sport there is, but these individual things highlight the individual, but they also highlight the individual within the framework of team. So, I know what’s important to Myles. I know what’s important to this football team.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Browns ‘Likely’ to Make Quarterback Change for Week 17 appeared first on Heavy Sports.