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Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders will serve as the team's backup quarterback in Cleveland's Week 10 game against the New York Jets, coach Kevin Stefanski announced Friday. That means Sanders is set to return from a back injury that kept him sidelined in an Oct. 26 loss to the New England Patriots. 

Sanders was initially announced as the No. 2 option in October after Cleveland traded veteran Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. Sanders will remain behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart -- for now, at least -- and ahead of veteran Bailey Zappe, who was active when Sanders was out. 

The Browns selected Sanders, who was the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year while playing for his father, Deion, at Colorado, with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders has yet to make his regular season debut for the franchise, but he did get some run in the preseason as he battled for a spot on the depth chart. 

He impressed with two touchdowns and 138 yards through the air in his preseason debut. 

Sanders was one of college football's most prolific passers during his time at Colorado. He guided the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record in 2024 while throwing for a career-high 4,134 yards on a 74% completion percentage. He also had 37 touchdowns passing, 15 of which went to Heisman Trophy winner and 2025 first-round pick Travis Hunter. 

When could Shedeur Sanders make his NFL debut?

Sanders' position as No. 2 on the depth chart means that he's one play away from potentially taking significant reps for the Browns. Gabriel hasn't exactly lit the world on fire in his first four starts, either. 

He has eclipsed 200 yards passing just once -- and that was when he threw the ball 52 times in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers -- and he's gone two out of the four games without a touchdown passing. His completion percentage in that span is also below 60% (59.4%) and he's averaging just 4.9 yards per attempt. 

Cleveland has failed to reach at least 20 points in three out of Gabriel's four starts. The Browns are also 1-3 under his direction. 

Given that Cleveland is in last in the AFC North and, as things stand, well out of contention for a wildcard playoff spot, the Browns could try and shake things up further by giving Sanders an opportunity to run the offense at some point. At the very least, it would allow the franchise to accurately evaluate Sanders' future in the league and potential with the team.