Shedeur Sanders faces a significant uphill battle in his quest to earn the starting quarterback job with the Cleveland Browns.
Sanders is one of four quarterbacks battling for a spot in Cleveland, joining Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookie Dillon Gabriel in a crowded competition. The Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round — an unexpected move after passing on him multiple times earlier in the draft.
Once projected as a potential first-rounder, Sanders’ dramatic slide became one of the biggest storylines of draft weekend. He’ll have to prove himself all over again as he competes for a place on the final roster, and potentially the starting role.
Despite generating some early buzz and positive feedback, Sanders hasn’t been taken seriously as a contender for the Browns’ starting quarterback job by most analysts. Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab gave Sanders just a 1% chance to win the competition.
“How many times in NFL history has a quarterback come into training camp as the fourth-string option and won a starting job by Week 1? That’s virtually unheard of. And it’s practically inconceivable that a fifth-round rookie who starts camp as the QB4 ends up starting on opening day,” Schwab said. “Sanders could end up starting at some point late in his rookie season because the Browns seem like a team that could end up starting four different quarterbacks in a rough season. But make no mistake, Sanders has a long way to go before he gets on the field for the Browns.”
Browns Will Likely Lean on Veteran Early
Sanders finds himself in a unique position with the Browns, a franchise that has been searching for its long-term answer at quarterback for more than two decades, plagued by instability and misfires.
Sanders brings intriguing upside, but even a strong showing in training camp and preseason might not be enough to earn the starting job right away. Zac Jackson of The Athletic views Flacco as the frontrunner to open the season under center.
“Joe Flacco, an 18-year veteran who’s played under Stefanski before, should be well ahead of rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders,” Jackson wrote in May. “Flacco is probably ahead of Kenny Pickett, too. Flacco throws the ball in a practice setting better than any of them. Add his overall experience, and he’s the favorite to win the job, unless Stefanski and others in the organization just favor Pickett — or unless Pickett outplays Flacco in the coming months.”
Browns Have Praised Shedeur Sanders for Work Ethic
Sanders arrives with some baggage and plenty of media buzz, but he’s quickly earning respect within the organization.
“Look, he’s worked his tail off,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said last week . “He’s really put in a lot of work as all those guys are, but you could tell on the mental side of the game and learning the system and calling it and having that rhythm to it, he’s put a lot of work and time and effort into that. And then when you do that, the game starts to slow down and you can focus on finding completions. And he’s done a nice job of that as camp’s progressed.”
The Browns’ mandatory minicamp is set to kick off on Tuesday, which should give Sanders more opportunities to prove himself.
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