Shedeur Sanders will serve as the third-string, emergency signal-caller for the Cleveland Browns against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, which is somewhat ironic considering the Ravens had designs on drafting the rookie QB in April with a chance for him to compete for the backup job.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday, September 14, that the Ravens intended to bring Sanders into the fold behind two-time MVP Lamar Jackson before Sanders’ camp expressly asked the organization not to do so.
“Sanders knew that Jackson, a two-time MVP and one of the top players in the league, was not going to be losing his job as Baltimore’s starting quarterback anytime soon,” Schefter wrote. “So the message was conveyed to the Ravens that Sanders did not want to be drafted by Baltimore and preferred to end up in a place where he might have a better chance to play sooner. The Ravens instead drafted offensive lineman Carson Vinson with the 141st pick.”
The Browns traded up into the early portion of the fifth round and drafted Sanders three selections later, despite drafting fellow rookie QB Dillon Gabriel at the end of the third round the day prior.
Joe Flacco ended up winning the starting job for the Browns in Week 1 after a protracted QB competition throughout training camp and the preseason, while Gabriel slotted in as the No. 2 option.
Sanders may be on the practice squad at this point, save for the Las Vegas Raiders‘ interest in trading with the Browns for Kenny Pickett following a wrist injury to Aidan O’Connell, who was to serve as the backup QB behind Raiders starter Geno Smith.
Meanwhile, Cooper Rush is currently the No. 2 signal-caller behind Jackson in Baltimore.
Shedeur Sanders Correct That Lamar Jackson Would Have Impeded Path to Starting QB
GettyBaltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Sanders might be in the same position in Baltimore as he is in Cleveland currently (languishing as the No. 3 QB), but he remains correct that the Browns’ situation under center should provide him with a better chance to start in the short-term and on a regular basis.
Jackson has battled injury issues throughout his career, missing five games in 2021 and 2022, respectively. However, he’s been healthier of late, sitting out just one contest in the past two campaigns combined.
Jackson easily could have captured his third NFL MVP award following the numbers he put up in 2024. And at the age of 28, he isn’t likely going anywhere anytime soon.
No Guarantees Shedeur Sanders Ever Starts for Browns
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.
The Browns, meanwhile, moved on from Pickett for a fifth-round pick. Flacco played relatively well in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but even if he keeps the starting job all season, he’s already 40 years old and could look to retire come next spring.
Gabriel bested Sanders over the course of the summer, despite the latter playing well in the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. If Cleveland pulls Flacco from the starting lineup at any point in 2025, Gabriel is going to get the first crack at replacing him absent some injury or other unforeseen circumstance.
That puts Sanders in a tough spot, as the team has invested even more in Gabriel than him via the higher draft pick it spent to acquire Gabriel. If either Flacco or Gabriel, or both of them, play well enough, Sanders may never get a shot to start this season. And if he does play, it could be limited and in scenarios like garbage time that are less meaningful.
Cleveland also owns two first-round picks in next year’s draft, its own and one belonging to the Jacksonville Jaguars. As such, the Browns will likely be in an excellent position to pursue a potential franchise QB in the 2026 class, which would place another huge hurdle in Sanders’ path to the Browns’ starting job.
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