Many Cleveland Browns fans have been pounding the table for Shedeur Sanders after watching Dillon Gabriel underwhelm for his first four NFL starts, but they may not get their wish anytime soon.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic has revealed some rough news for Sanders’ potential playing time, noting that the coaching staff clearly does not think the rookie is prepared to take the field.
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“Shedeur Sanders has never been given any chance to play with the No. 1 offense, a clear sign that Stefanski thinks Sanders isn’t ready,” Jackson wrote. “Sanders was inactive for the New England game with a back issue that kept him out of Monday’s post-bye practice, and Stefanski has insisted that the team is sticking with Gabriel.”
The fact that Sanders has never even had the opportunity to play with the No. 1 offense is definitely alarming for Browns fans who were hoping to see him under center in the coming weeks.
It’s looking more and more like Gabriel will at least be the quarterback for the foreseeable future, which muddies Sanders’ status in Cleveland long term.
That being said, you have to figure that the Browns will give Sanders a chance at some point in 2025 if Gabriel continues to struggle. They will almost surely want to see what they have in Sanders before making any decisions heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, where Cleveland possesses two first-round picks.
That is, of course, unless the Browns have absolutely no confidence in Sanders as a legitimate option for the future. But then, we must question why they selected the University of Colorado product in the fifth round of the draft last April to begin with.
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Sanders was expected by most to be a first-round pick last spring, but instead slipped all the way to Day 3, where Cleveland traded up to land him.
The 23-year-old has even been the subject of odd trade speculation ever since, but up until this point, the Browns have decided to keep him aboard.
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