Adam Schefter Hints At Browns’ Roster Decision On Shedeur Sanders originally appeared on The Spun.
The Cleveland Browns are in an unusually strange spot at quarterback right now. They are currently carrying four quarterbacks in training camp, all of whom have either starting potential or a lot of money invested in them. So where does Shedeur Sanders stand as the team gets closer to its roster cuts?
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ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter had some insight on the latest episode of his podcast. When discussing the former Colorado quarterback, Schefter mused that the Browns are highly unlikely to keep four quarterbacks on the roster. NFL teams rarely keep three on the roster, let alone four.
As for who will be the odd man out, Schefter would not speculate. But he asserted that he sees both rookies – Sanders and Dillon Gabriel – making the 53-man roster.
“I now think the Browns are more likely than not to carry four quarterbacks on their final 53-man roster,” Schefter said. “Now, hear me out. It is rare when a team drafts a quarterback in the middle rounds and winds up releasing him.
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“And we’ve always thought that both rookie quarterbacks would make the 53-man roster. Barring an injury, Shedeur’s shoulder or Kenny Pickett’s hamstring getting worse, assuming they both get healthy, even though they might not be today. I think both rookie quarterbacks are on the Browns’ final 53-man roster.”
Though he didn’t say it outright, that seems to make Pickett the odd man out.
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is set to start the season with Deshaun Watson currently on injured reserve. Dillon Gabriel was a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and it’s practically unprecedented for a second-round pick to be released before Week 1 of his rookie year. That just leaves Pickett, a former first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers who was a backup in Philadelphia last year, and Sanders, a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.
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May 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) talks to the media during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesKen Blaze-Imagn Images.
NFL teams release mid-round picks like Sanders as rookies more often than Schefter asserts, but it still seems unlikely given the investment the team has made in him compared to the total non-investment made in Pickett.
Smart money would probably be on Flacco, Gabriel and Sanders being QB1, QB2 and QB3 respectively to start the year.
Do you agree?
Adam Schefter Hints At Browns’ Roster Decision On Shedeur Sanders first appeared on The Spun on Aug 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.