The Cleveland Browns are now led by rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders was sitting deep in the Browns’ quarterback room to start the season, behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.
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After waiting his turn and jumping in for Gabriel after the fellow rookie suffered an injury, Sanders has been named the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
As Sanders leads his team into Week 15, set to face the Chicago Bears, the Cleveland Browns announced some brutal hits to the offense in terms of injuries.
“Browns have ruled out TE David Njoku and RB Dylan Sampson for Sunday’s game at Chicago against the Bears,” posted NFL insider Adam Schefter.
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Shedeur Sanders will now be playing against one of the top teams in the NFC without two of his best and most explosive players on the offensive end.
It’s an even bigger blow considering the skillset of the Chicago Bears offense that the Browns will have to match in order to compete in Week 15.
David Njoku was ruled out with a knee injury, while Dylan Sampson was ruled out with a calf and hand injury. Neither player practiced the entire week ahead of the matchup against the Bears.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12). Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
In his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, Shedeur Sanders has posted five touchdowns and 769 yards with a 52.4 completion percentage.
Sanders was named the starting quarterback for the rest of the season after throwing for three touchdowns and 364 yards last week in the 31-29 loss against the Tennessee Titans.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.