Sanders will draw the start at quarterback for the Browns on Sunday against the Raiders, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, coach Kevin Stefanski noted Wednesday that Dillon Gabriel remains in concussion protocol, which sets the stage for Sanders -- who stepped in at QB after Gabriel exited the Browns' Week 11 loss to the Ravens -- to make his first career NFL regular-season start this weekend. When asked whether Sanders might hold on the the starting assignment beyond Week 12, Stefanski said that he won't look beyond Sunday. In any case, Sanders represents a lineup option for those in need of signal-caller help, especially with four teams on bye.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Will take snaps with No. 1 offense
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Sanders will get his first practice reps with the first-team offense Wednesday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
This news was expected in light of Dillon Gabriel landing in the NFL's concussion protocol. Sanders' only work through the spring, training camp, preseason and in-season practices had come with other backups and young players. That was even the practice when Sanders was elevated to the No. 2 quarterback. That he'll practice with the starting offense this week indicates Sanders will make his first NFL start against Las Vegas on Sunday. Gabriel would need to practice by Thursday to alter that plan.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Week 12 Waiver Priority List
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Sanders could start for the Browns in Week 12 at Las Vegas if Dillon Gabriel (concussion) is out, and Sanders could be an option in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. He is worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB. Sanders came on for Gabriel in Week 11 against Baltimore and was 4-of-16 passing for 47 yards, no touchdowns and one interception, and he added 16 rushing yards. Sanders has limited upside given the lack of weapons in Cleveland, but he could still be needed in deeper leagues, so keep an eye on Gabriel's status throughout the week.
Sanders is expected to start Sunday's game against the Raiders with Dillon Gabriel working his way through the concussion protocol, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stated Monday that the team wouldn't provide an update on the quarterback situation until Wednesday, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com, but it appears Sanders is likely to draw the first start of his career unless Gabriel's recovery proceeds quicker than anticipated. During Cleveland's loss to Cincinnati in Week 11, Sanders entered in relief of an injured Gabriel to begin the second half but struggled to string anything together on offense, completing just four of 16 pass attempts for 47 yards and an interception. The rookie fifth-rounder also rushed three times for 16 yards. When the Browns return to practice Wednesday, expect Sanders to handle first-team reps as he works to ready himself for a more convincing performance on the road against Las Vegas.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Struggles in relief Sunday
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Sanders completed four of 16 pass attempts for 47 yards and an interception while rushing three times for 16 yards in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Ravens.
Sanders started the second half for the Browns after Dillon Gabriel was forced to exit the contest to be evaluated for a concussion. The long-awaited debut for Sanders in a regular-season game went about as poorly as you could draw it up. The polarizing rookie completed just 25 percent of his passes while watching the six-point lead he inherited evaporate in the loss. Sanders' play didn't inspire hope for his next outing, which could come as soon as next Sunday if Gabriel isn't cleared for action against the Raiders. The latter should continue to start -- especially with how poorly Sanders performed in relief -- so long as Gabriel clears the league's concussion protocol.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Staying on bench Week 11
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Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said following Sunday's loss to the Jets that Sanders will remain the backup quarterback for Week 11 against the Ravens, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
As evidence mounts weekly that Dillon Gabriel is in over his head during his rookie campaign, Stefanski hasn't budged on promoting Sanders. The coach was asked directly Monday about when Sanders' chance might be coming, but Stefanski refused to speculate. Sanders, who was never given a single rep with the first-team offense during the summer, is apparently not ready to replace a struggling quarterback three months into the regular season.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Limited Wednesday
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Sanders (back) will practice in a limited fashion Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Sanders has been dealing with back tightness over the past two weeks, so Wednesday's limited session comes as no surprise. Head coach Kevin Stefanski noted that the Browns will monitor the Colorado product over the next couple of days to determine whether he can operate as the team's No. 2 quarterback in the Week 10 matchup against the Jets. If Sanders is inactive, Bailey Zappe is likely to back up Dillon Gabriel.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Inactive Sunday
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Sanders (back) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Patriots.
Sanders was added to the Browns' injury report with a 'questionable' designation Saturday due to back tightness, and he'll sit this one out and target a return to action after his team's Week 9 bye. In his absence Sunday, practice-squad elevation Bailey Zappe will serve as starting QB Dillon Gabriel's top backup.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Dealing with back tightness
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Sanders is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Patriots due to back tightness.
Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer relays that Sanders' back tightened up following the Browns' Week 8 prep, which will prompt the elevation of Bailey Zappe from the practice squad to the active roster. Whether Sanders suits up for Sunday's game in New England will depend on how he feels following pregame warmups, so his official status for Week 8 may not be officially known until the Browns announce their list of inactive players approximately 90 minutes before the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. If Sanders is inactive, Zappe would serve as the Browns' backup quarterback behind Dillon Gabriel.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Goes unused in Week 6 loss
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Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said after Sunday's 23-9 loss to the Steelers that he never considered benching starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel for Sanders at any point during the contest, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
The Browns sputtered offensively for much of the day, but the Browns' struggles didn't fall solely on Gabriel, who was sacked six times and absorbed another 16 hits. Injuries along the offensive line also limited the rushing attack, and Cleveland's pass catchers dropped multiple passes. The organization will still likely want to see what it has in Sanders before entering the offseason, but Gabriel appears set for a long look in the starting role before Stefanski considers a change at the position.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Still expected to play in 2025
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Sanders (coach's decision), who is inactive as the Browns' emergency third quarterback for Sunday's game against the Vikings in London, is expected to play at some point during his rookie season once the coaching staff deems him ready, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Though Cleveland has elected to bench Joe Flacco after he led the team to a 1-3 start through the first four weeks of the season, Flacco will suit up as the No. 2 quarterback ahead of Sanders while the Browns turn to rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel to make his first NFL start. Gabriel had been serving as Flacco's top backup in each of the previous four contests, and the 24-year-old has already made a strong impression on the coaching staff in practices and in two spot appearances late in blowouts due to his ability to get the ball out quickly and process the defense. That being said, the 5-foot-11 Gabriel's lack of ideal size and physical tools could work against him in his development as an NFL-level starter, so if he's unable to find much success in his first few extended appearances, the Browns could eventually turn the offense over to Sanders. Rapoport notes that because the Browns designed their Week 5 game plan with Gabriel's aptitude as a runner in mind, Cleveland was reluctant to appoint Sanders to the No. 2 role right away as part of a game plan that wouldn't be tailored to his strengths. Ideally, if and when the Browns decide to have Sanders play, he'll get a full week of practice with the first-team offense in advance and will have a game plan built specifically for his skill set.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Designated as emergency QB
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Sanders (coach's decision) is inactive but designated as the emergency third quarterback for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
This move comes as little surprise, as coach Kevin Stefanski made clear that Sanders would begin the season third on the quarterback depth chart. Dillon Gabriel will serve as Joe Flacco's backup in Week 1.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Beginning season as No. 3 option
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Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday that Dillon Gabriel will work as the top backup to Joe Flacco to begin the regular season, leaving Sanders in the No. 3 role, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
It's still conceivable that both rookie signal-callers get chances under center at some point during what could be a rebuilding campaign for Cleveland. The team traded Kenny Pickett (hamstring) to the Raiders on Monday and cut Tyler Huntley on Sunday, leaving Sanders and Gabriel without further competition as depth options.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Poor showing in preseason finale
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Sanders completed three of six passes for 14 yards in Saturday's 19-17 preseason win over the Rams.
The 2025 fifth-round pick was the third quarterback into the game for the Browns behind Week 1 starter Joe Flacco and 2025 third-round selection Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders did little to shake up the depth chart, as he took five sacks on five drives while playing most of the second half. Kenny Pickett (hamstring) is still in the mix as well for slotting behind Flacco, but Gabriel appears to be firmly ahead of Sanders if there's room for only one rookie QB on the roster.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: On track to play Saturday
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Sanders is slated to play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Rams, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Per Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, starter Joe Flacco should see around 25-to-30 snaps and then will be followed by Dillon Gabriel and Sanders, in that order. Meanwhile, Kenny Pickett (hamstring) is not in line to play this weekend. Now that Flacco has been named the Browns' Week 1 starter, the focus turns to the depth chart pecking order behind him as next week's roster cut downs approach.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Not practicing Tuesday
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Sanders (oblique) isn't practicing but could return for Wednesday's session, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Sanders remains day-to-day after missing Cleveland's second preseason game due to an oblique injury, and his status remains uncertain for Saturday's exhibition finale against the Rams. In the wake of Joe Flacco being named the Browns' starter for Week 1, Stefanski said he's still not ready to name a No. 2 quarterback and that "these roles are not given out, they're earned," per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. As such, Saturday's preseason game looks like a crucial opportunity for both Sanders and Kenny Pickett (hamstring) to get back on the practice field and compete with rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel for the backup gig. Veteran journeyman Tyler Huntley could also get some reps Saturday, though he has no clear path to the 53-man roster.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Day-to-day, unlikely for Saturday
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Sanders (oblique) is considered day-to-day due to an oblique strain suffered during Wednesday's practice and is not expected to suit up for Saturday's preseason game against the Eagles, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Sanders won't practice Thursday, and while it appears he won't be available Saturday versus Philadelphia, he could still have a chance to gain clearance in time for Cleveland's preseason finale against the Rams on Saturday, Aug. 23. With the 2025 fifth-rounder and veteran Kenny Pickett (hamstring) both trending in the wrong direction due to injury, and veteran Joe Flacco expected to rest, rookie third-round quarterback Dillon Gabriel could get a chance to start and handle expanded reps during Saturday's exhibition matchup.
Sanders will start Friday's preseason opener against Carolina, as Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel both have hamstring injuries, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
With multiple injuries in the QB room, the Browns signed Tyler Huntley on Monday to give them a third healthy body in camp. They apparently don't want to play Joe Flacco in the preseason opener, although coach Kevin Stefanski said some starters will play, and will instead let Sanders and Huntley handle reps under center. Huntley spent time with the Browns last year, so he could be more comfortable with the playbook than Sanders is. Prior to the Pickett and Gabriel injuries, there hadn't been any whispers out of Cleveland training camp of Sanders climbing the depth chart or otherwise making a strong impression. The fifth-round pick figures to get a lot of reps with the second-string offense in practice, after working with depth players for the first two weeks of camp.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Set to practice fully
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Sanders (arm) is slated to practice fully Monday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Sanders was held out of team drills Saturday because of arm soreness, but the rookie signal-caller's ability to work fully Monday indicates that he's quickly moved past the issue. For now, Sanders slots in behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett (hamstring) and Dillon Gabriel in the Browns' ongoing QB competition.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Dealing with arm soreness
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Sanders did not participate in team drills during Saturday's training camp practice due to arm soreness, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
With Sanders and Kenny Pickett (hamstring) both sidelined during team drills, it was Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel who split those reps Saturday. Sanders was spotted in sprinting drills with teammates at the end of Saturday's practice, and with the Browns off Sunday, the rookie fourth-rounder could be back on the field for Monday's session.
