There has always been the idea around the NFL that it’s better to have patience with a young quarterback, that he may be served waiting to play and learning behind someone else before being thrown into action. But with the salary cap and rookie contracts playing a larger role these days, teams aren’t as inclined to follow that path anymore.
However, playing someone before he is ready, regardless of the circumstance, often does more harm than good. The Cleveland Browns know this better than most teams, having struggled to find a quarterback solution for almost three decades.
Now, even though Shedeur Sanders started seven games as a rookie, there is a thought that he should begin this season as the backup to Deshaun Watson to enhance his development. Even though the two are engaged in an active QB competition heading into training camp, Sanders may not be fully prepared for a Week 1 assignment.
Analyst Ken Carman is pushing back on that popular Sanders stance, saying that he shouldn’t sit on the bench, but he also shouldn’t play if he’s not ready to do so.
“I’m just not gonna meet anybody on, ‘It’s better for Shedeur to sit.’ If anybody said that, I think that they’re wrong. I want him to start, but I only want him to start if he’s ready. If he’s not ready, then fine, I’ll wait,” Carman said.
Last season, the Browns looked to have a patient plan in place after selecting Dillon Gabriel and Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. Veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco were part of a four-man QB competition that preseason, which would allow the rookies to mature behind them.
Well, that blew up in a hurry. Pickett was traded before the season began, and Flacco was benched after just four starts. Gabriel took over and made six starts before he was injured, forcing Sanders into action for the final seven starts of the campaign.
The fifth-round pick showed he may not have been ready then, throwing 10 interceptions and taking 23 sacks. But if reports from this spring’s minicamps and OTAs are to be believed, the 24-year-old has improved in those areas.
Now, if Sanders is given the chance, he’ll have to show that it can translate into real games; otherwise, he will be back on the bench, where he may belong after all.
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