The Cleveland Browns just went through a bit of a shakeup at quarterback.
With Joe Flacco leaving town, it means that Shedeur Sanders will be Dillon Gabriel’s backup, and insider Tony Grossi believes this is a perfect situation for everybody involved.
“Shedeur moves up a notch, and Shedeur’s fans get hungrier to see him. If Gabriel was getting (practice reps) with Flacco the No. 1 quarterback, it stands to reason Shedeur will get some. Everyone got what they want,” Grossi said.
"It stands reason that Shedeur will get some," – @TonyGrossi thinks it would make sense to give Shedeur Sanders some 1st team reps in practice going forward. pic.twitter.com/iDAz5hJJhu
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) October 8, 2025
Many fans made a big fuss over the Browns’ decision to keep Shedeur as the third-stringer when Gabriel replaced Flacco as the starter for their Week 5 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
That’s the additional attention that comes with having a celebrity quarterback like Sanders, and the Browns were definitely aware of that part of the deal when they selected him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
But now that he will have more opportunities to prove himself, perhaps many fans might finally get what they’ve been craving for months.
In the meantime, this should continue to be Gabriel’s job.
As much as the Browns need to see both of the rookies in action, they’ll likely give the third-round pick a long leash.
More than that, perhaps the attention should focus on Gabriel for a change, as he’s had to deal with being in Shedeur Sanders’ shadow since the draft.
NEXT: Kurt Warner Shares Honest Take On Dillon Gabriel's Debut
