The Cleveland Browns have announced their first unofficial depth chart following the trade of Joe Flacco and it appears that Shedeur Sanders got a long-awaited promotion.
Sanders is listed as the primary backup to Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart. He has served as the emergency No. 3 quarterback on game days through the first five weeks. Sanders would have only been able to enter the game if both Flacco and Gabriel were injured.
The depth chart is unofficial, so plans could change later in the week. The Browns still have Bailey Zappe on the practice squad and could choose to activate the 26-year-old to serve as the backup.
The Browns are familiar with Zappe, as he spent part of last season with the team and even started the season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. He completed 51% of his passes in that game for 170 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Browns lost 35-10. Zappe spent the preseason with the Kansas City Chiefs, completing 15 of 27 passes for 104 yards with two interceptions in three games.
Zappe also has eight starts on his resume from his time with the New England Patriots.
Browns Told Shedeur Sanders to Keep Working
The Browns have treated Sanders — a fifth-round pick — as a developmental prospect. However, Sanders feels like he could make an impact if given the opportunity.
“I know if you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that,” Sanders said in September. “(There’s) obvious a lot of teams would be playing me, but that’s not in God’s plan right now. And some things happen for a reason and I’m a true believer in that. And whatever his plan for me is I believe in it. So I don’t be stressed or feel bad that I’m in the situation I’m in right now. It’s just funny to me and I just enjoy it.”
The Browns‘ advice to Sanders was simply to keep working.
“All of our players, and I include Shedeur in this, are working extremely hard. We just finished our period after practice that we do every single day, just finished a red zone 7-on-7 period where Shedeur and the rest of the younger guys are working on 10 reps,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said last week. “So, he needs to continue to do exactly what he’s been doing and continue to do what all these guys are doing, which is just keep working.”
Ex-Browns Joe Flacco Didn’t Ask for Trade to Bengals
The Browns benched Flacco ahead of Week 5 and chose to go with Gabriel. Flacco continued to serve as the backup and the team valued his leadership.
“I think the best way to help him is just continue to come to work, you know, with a good mindset every day and provide that positive energy and see what he needs on his end,” Flacco said after being benched.
Flacco now gets an opportunity to keep his career going in Cincinnati after a rough 1-3 start in Cleveland. He didn’t ask for a trade but was open to it after losing his starting job, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com
“Flacco didn’t ask for the trade, but he certainly welcomed it when the Browns talked to him about it on Tuesday,” Cabot said. The last thing he wanted to do was ride the bench here for the rest of the season, with the Browns needing to see what they have in their two rookies, Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, before the 2026 draft.
The Bengals are likely to start Flacco this week against the Green Bay Packers. Flacco’s lone win this season came against Green Bay.
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