The Cleveland Browns are reportedly making a quarterback change, as CBS Sports reports that Dillon Gabriel will make his first career start this week against the Minnesota Vikings.
The move comes after the Browns opened the season 1-3, failing to score more than 17 points in any of their first four games. It also means rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will remain on the bench for at least another week, despite calls from fans eager to see him make his NFL debut.
As Dillon Gabriel gets his shot to prove he can be Cleveland’s starter, many are left wondering when Sanders might get his opportunity. Here’s the latest on why the rookie remains sidelined.
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Why isn't Sheduer Sanders playing?
Once training camp ended, the Browns named Shedeur Sanders their third-string quarterback, behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. With Flacco starting the season and Gabriel serving as his backup, Sanders was positioned as the emergency option.
That depth chart came as little surprise. Flacco is the lone veteran in the room, and Cleveland drafted Gabriel in the third round compared to Sanders in the fifth. It follows that Gabriel would get the first opportunity to start over Sanders.
Before the season, head coach Kevin Stefanski explained his reasoning for keeping Sanders in the QB3 role, despite public calls for him to move up the depth chart.
"I don't concern myself with outside types of things, but I'm committed to his development, just like all of our rookies," Stefanski said. "We'll continue to focus on getting our guys better, and that's what we'll stay committed to, and that's what's important to me."
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Is Sheduer Sanders still on the Browns?
Sanders is still with the Browns, even though he hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game.
Entering training camp, Cleveland carried four quarterbacks on its roster, raising questions about whether all four would make the team. The Browns later traded Kenny Pickett to Las Vegas, leaving Flacco, Gabriel, and Sanders as the team’s quarterbacks.
It now appears that Gabriel will take over as Cleveland’s starter, marking the first depth chart shake-up of the season. If Gabriel struggles in his first starts, head coach Kevin Stefanski and the team could turn to Sanders for a chance under center.
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Browns QB depth chart
| Rank | Player |
| 1. | Joe Flacco |
| 2. | Dillon Gabriel |
| 3. | Shedeur Sanders |
For now, Joe Flacco remains first on the Browns' unofficial depth chart, but that would change if Gabriel gets the start. It is likely that Flacco will move into the backup role, while Sanders would remain the third-string quarterback.
However, Sanders would still dress for games as the emergency quarterback in case something happens to both quarterbacks ahead of him.
MORE: Revisiting Cleveland's fraught QB draft history, from Tim Couch to Johnny Manziel