Shedeur Sanders currently finds himself on the outside looking in.
The son of Prime Time Deion Sanders was supposed to be a first-round lock in the 2025 NFL Draft, but suffered an unprecedented slide and eventually landed with the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick.
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Shedeur was listed as the Browns’ third stringer in the Week 1 clash with the BengalsCredit: Getty
The Browns QB room swiftly became one of the most talked about issues in the entire NFL.
Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, rookie Dillon Gabriel, and even Tyler Huntley, at least for a brief period, were all competing with, and seemingly winning, Cleveland’s QB battle against Sanders.
After an offseason saga for the ages, Pickett ultimately left for the Raiders, Huntley was cut, Gabriel was named QB2, and veteran Flacco was named the Week 1 starter against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Sanders was listed as the team’s emergency third quarterback for the 17-16 defeat to the Bengals.
Shedeur is getting scout team reps in, despite reports to the contrary
And it went from bad to worse for Sanders in midweek when ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Rizzo claimed he’d heard that Shedeur was not even conducting the scout-team reps for the team.
“I’m hearing Shedeur is not even running scout team, he’s literally watching everyone,” Rizzo said. “Bailey Zappe’s running scout team. I don’t know if that’s true, that’s what I’m hearing.
“Why’s he on the team? Why is he even here? If that’s what you think of him. Because his jersey is selling?” Rizzo continued, referencing the fact that the rookie has the fifth-highest selling jersey of 2025 so far.
“The Haslems (Browns owners) don’t need jersey money, do they? Then why is he on the team, if he’s not even running scout team?”
However, those reports appeared to be wide of the mark, with Browns quarterback coach Billy Musgrave saying all of the backup quarterbacks, including Sanders, were getting scout team reps throughout the week.
“We’re doing some things to replicate Baltimore’s quarterback Lamar (Jackson) this week with all three guys to really give the defense a good look,” Musgrave said.
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Flacco started under center against the Bengals and looked steady in a narrow defeatCredit: Getty
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Contrary to reports, Shedeur has been getting in scout team reps with the likes of Gabriel and ZappeCredit: Getty
“Being a scout team quarterback, you’re working on your own craft but really it’s an art form to replicate the opponent so the defense can be ready to do their thing on Sunday.”
“It’s a little bit different and it’s exciting because those guys do take pride in getting the defense ready,” Musgrave said. “They want to do a good job replicating the opponent’s offense and at the same time, they want to try and relate any play that they get to our gameplan too so they can feel like they can get a little bit of double duty there.”
Deshaun Watson’s imminent Browns return is a problem for Shedeur
For now, Sanders is the third-stringer, but even that might not be the case for much longer with Deshaun Watson ramping up his return.
Footage of Watson, the Browns’ QB1 before a devastating Achilles injury rules him out last season, has recently emerged online.
Clips show Watson taking part in throwing drills and moving around impressively.
“Deshaun Watson coming back and being good again is actually the funniest possible result of the Browns whole situation right now,” one fan posted.
“People are quick to forget just how good a healthy Watson can be in this league…” another wrote.
Watson was acquired several years ago in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans. He was given a massive $230 million contract, which Browns co-owner Haslam later admitted was a “big swing-and-miss”.
In 2023, Watson, who has been plagued by off-field issues, played in six games and threw for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. Last season, before going down with a torn Achilles, he played in seven games, completing 63.4 percent of his pass attempts for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Now, he’s evidently nearing his return, with Zac Jackson of The Athletic suggesting Watson could see the field any time after Week 4.
“Do I think that’s anyone’s intention? No. Do I think that it’s likely at all, even if we get closer to that world? No. But there is a world. When he went on Active PUP instead of Reserve PUP, that made him eligible to play this season,” Jackson said.
“That means that anytime after Week 4, he is eligible to return.”
Watson’s imminent return represents a major issue for both Cleveland and Sanders.
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Watson’s return is imminent – and his massive contract poses a problem for the Browns and SandersCredit: Getty
If Watson is healthy, the Browns have to put him back on their 53-man roster or release him. Letting go of Watson would put them on the hook for an unprecedented 2026 cap charge of $131 million — and there’s no way the Browns are taking that kind of financial hit.
With Watson seemingly going nowhere, at least not for this season, another huge obstacle is about to be put in middle of Sanders’ pathway to QB1 status.
Watson’s return will likely see Sanders fall even further down the Browns depth chart, and likely onto their practice squad.
But to make matters worse, another NFL team can add practice squad players to their team, as long as they put that player on the active 53-man roster.
While the Browns do have the ability to protect a limited number of players on their practice squad, it’s hardly a given they’d choose to protect Shedeur.
If they don’t, that means Sanders could be stolen by another team in need of a QB, with Dolphins and 49ers fans already calling for their team to make the move for the rookie.
The Browns QB situation looks far from over.
The team travel to Baltimore in Week 2 for a clash against the Ravens, the team Flacco won a Super Bowl with in 2013.
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