The injury bug has ravaged the Browns' QB room during 2025 training camp, and rookie Shedeur Sanders is the latest to feel it.
Sanders suffered an oblique injury during the early stages of a joint practice between Cleveland and Philadelphia on Wednesday, Aug. 13. He remained on the field throughout the remainder of the practice, but was held out from 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.
The injury casts doubt on Sanders' availability for the Week 2 preseason game between the Browns and Eagles, shifting the focus to a bigger conversation around Sanders' recovery process and availability for the remainder of the preseason.
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With Sanders fully entrenched in Cleveland's five-man quarterback battle, availability is crucial, as every rep will influence his chances of making the regular-season 53-man roster. How the Browns approach Sanders' recovery and return to action will provide insight into his standing in the grand scheme.
Here's a look at Sanders' projected recovery time and how his chances to make the roster may be impacted.
MORE: The latest updates on Shedeur Sanders' oblique injury
Shedeur Sanders oblique injury recovery timeline
Sanders' injury was officially ruled as a strained oblique, the Browns announced Wednesday.
Similar to most soft tissue injuries, time missed with an oblique strain is dependent on the severity of the injury. Oblique strains are classified into three grades: Grade 1 (mild), Grade 2 (moderate), and Grade 3 (severe).
As the designations indicate, a Grade 1 strain has the quickest recovery time, with players often returning in one to two weeks.
Cleveland did not formally classify Sanders' injury, but instead said the 23-year-old would be given a day-to-day status on the injury report. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski echoed that the injury would be treated day-to-day, adding that the Browns are "going to put him down for a little bit here."
The status update suggests Sanders' injury is a mild strain, and while he is unlikely to play in Philadelphia on Saturday, Sanders could return to the field in time to prepare for preseason Week 3.
After the Browns face the defending champions in Philadelphia on Aug. 16, they'll return home for the final week of the preseason. Cleveland will host the Rams on Saturday, Aug. 23, in the preseason finale.
MORE SHEDEUR SANDERS:
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Shedeur Sanders injury history
The oblique strain is the second injury sustained by Sanders during the preseason.
On Saturday, Aug. 2, Sanders was held out of practice to mitigate soreness in his throwing shoulder. He did not make much of the issue, saying, "Sometimes, you'll go in hot, then you'll wait for a second and get cold, and get back hot, then get cold. My arm and body wasn't used to that, so it's just an adjustment within the body, within my arm."
Sanders returned to practice two days later, clearing the way for his preseason debut. His oblique injury comes less than two weeks after the first injury. He isn't the only hobbled Browns QB, as Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Picket have been on the injury report with hamstring issues and Deshaun Watson is rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon.
To this point, Joe Flacco and Tyler Huntley are the only two Cleveland QBs with a clean bill of health in 2025.