Shedeur Sanders wants to get on an NFL field, but whether that will happen with the Cleveland Browns in 2025, or ever, is now an even more legitimate question to ask.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski made the move from Joe Flacco to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel ahead of the team’s Week 5 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings in London, announcing those plans on Wednesday, October 1.
“Just my decision,” Stefanski said of the change, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “This decision was best for the football team.”
Stefanski also made the decision to keep Sanders as the No. 3 QB on the roster, leaving Flacco as the backup.
NEWS: The Browns are making a change at QB. Dillon Gabriel is taking over for Joe Flacco, who will be Cleveland’s backup, per source,” Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported via X. “Shedeur Sanders will remain third on the depth chart.”
Sanders was recently adamant about his desire/readiness to get on the field, and the impending move from Flacco to Gabriel appeared a major step for Sanders toward that end. But Russini’s report indicates otherwise, which could upset Sanders, and which led to speculation from ESPN insider Dan Graziano that Sanders could end up on the trade block this fall.
“I think you’re asking if it could be someone such as Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson or one of the Cleveland rookies,” Graziano wrote in response to the question of whether an NFL team might deal a high-profile QB before the deadline. “Anything’s possible.”
Shedeur Sanders Unlikely to Get Fair Chance to Prove Himself With Browns This Season
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
In the same article, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler offered educated speculation on the minimum timeline for Gabriel after assuming the starting role.
“It’s uncertain where Cleveland will be from a roster-building standpoint three to four weeks from now,” Fowler wrote. But here’s to guessing Gabriel will be on the field by the end of October, at which point the Browns will want to see what they have in the third-rounder.
That puts Sanders right up against the November 4 trade deadline before he has any real chance of getting on the field in a meaningful capacity. And as Fowler noted, the Browns may be in sell mode by then in an attempt to move valuable players who aren’t likely to return to Cleveland in 2026 for draft assets that can help what thus far has been a successful youth movement across the roster.
In other words, by the time Sanders gets a shot to start in Cleveland, the team might already be trading talent in an effort to tank for next year — not exactly an ideal scenario for a hungry rookie QB to prove his potential to his team or others around the league.
Shedeur Sanders’ Comments, NFL QB Market Could Influence Browns’ Position on Trade
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Cabot has been reporting since before the season that the Browns want to see what they have in Sanders, and thus predicting that he will eventually get real run — whether that is as a starter or in relief of Gabriel should he struggle or suffer injury in the near-to-midterm future.
But Sanders remaining mired in the QB3 spot even after Flacco’s demotion doesn’t bode well for that potential reality coming about anytime soon.
A couple of things could factor into whether the Browns consider dealing Sanders in the next five weeks, including the young QB’s level of patience/willingness to speak publicly in a manner that could put pressure on Cleveland to make a decision one way or another.
Beyond that, the QB play and health of the position across the NFL could also dictate an increase in Sanders’ value to the right organization, which might motivate the Browns depending on how Gabriel plays and what the team’s outlook is on drafting a rookie signal-caller next spring.
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