Cleveland Browns rookie fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders may not have won the four-man quarterback competition the team conducted this offseason, but he did make the team and will open the year as the No. 3 option behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel.
There is plenty of excitement surrounding Sanders that you don’t typically see with a fifth-round rookie, but if fans are still holding out hope that he might play this year, they might be disappointed, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
In a recent article, Russini said that fans shouldn’t plan on getting a look at Sanders “unless things get really weird.”
“However, don’t plan on seeing the fifth-round rookie on the field this season unless things get really weird. Cleveland believes in Joe Flacco’s experience and Dillon Gabriel’s development as the backup,” Russini wrote.
Flacco looked great throughout camp and preseason, and he has experience in this offense after leading the Browns to the postseason in 2023, so it’s no surprise he came in and won the starting job.
Gabriel was also drafted two rounds ahead of Sanders for a reason, and he looked great in preseason as well, so it’s understandable why the Browns would trust him with the backup role.
One of the main goals for the Browns this season is to figure out if either Gabriel or Sanders can be a long-term franchise quarterback ahead of the 2026 draft, because next year’s class is projected to be loaded with QB talent and the Browns have a pair of first-rounders if they want to select one of them.
Flacco hasn’t started a full season’s worth of games since 2017, so there’s a strong chance Gabriel will be heard from at some point, but unless he flounders, don’t expect to see Sanders.
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