The Cleveland Browns may soon look to Shedeur Sanders as their version of Brock Purdy, with Dillon Gabriel running out of time to prove he’s the long-term solution.
Brock Purdy was famously “Mr. Irrelevant” as the final pick of the 2022 draft, yet he seized his moment and quickly became the 49ers’ starting quarterback — giving San Francisco a low-cost, high-upside option at the NFL’s most valuable position. Purdy recently cashed in with a $265 million extension after playing on a four-year, $3.7 million rookie deal.
The Browns, meanwhile, are still feeling the strain of Deshaun Watson’s $230 million fully guaranteed deal, along with big-money contracts for stars like Myles Garrett. As Zac Jackson of The Athletic noted, Sanders — on a four-year, $4.6 million rookie contract — could offer Cleveland a much-needed path toward financial flexibility while developing a potential franchise quarterback on an affordable deal.
“The way out of this is for Shedeur Sanders to be Brock Purdy,” Jackson said on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. “He comes out of nowhere and makes no money. That’s the only way out of it.”
Jackson: Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Has 8 Quarters Left
Gabriel has started the last four games, going 1-3 in those starts. He’s rarely looked downfield and has not provided a spark for the offense . Jackson believes Gabriel — a third-round pick — has two games left to prove he belongs as the starter.
“I think we have all seen the answer sooner than anybody thought,” Jackson said. “I think there are eight quarters left for Dillon Gabriel. If they don’t win these next two games, you have seven left, but are totally playing for nothing. If he fails again and he’s out there with this low success rate and these four-yard passes and not being able to move the ball at all, then it’s time to do it.”
Should Sanders take over and have success, the Browns — who have two first-round picks — could bypass taking a quarterback early in next year’s draft and address other needs.
“This doesn’t get talked about. There’s a chance Shedeur Sanders is the starting quarterback a year from now,” Jackson said. “You need tackle, need receiver and all these other things. If you think Shedeur can play and he’s going to use the offseason to get better, then you draft another quarterback in the third round and go forward with those two guys.”
Browns Looking for Spark With Play-Caller Shift
The Browns’ offense heads into Sunday’s Week 10 clash with the New York Jets averaging just 15.8 points and 263.5 yards per game . In an effort to find a spark, the Browns are shifting play-callers from head coach Kevin Stefanski to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.
“I think it hasn’t really changed much in terms of day to day, just going about our business that way, but I think it’ll be good,” Gabriel said. “I think it’ll be good for the guys and want to get this thing going in the right direction.”
The Browns are in a prime spot to get it right against the one-win Jets, who just traded away two Pro Bowl defenders in Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. Cleveland is a slight 2.5-point favorite .
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