Shedeur Sanders will be getting a chance to play this season for the Cleveland Browns. That doesn’t mean he will start, but Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot revealed the former Colorado Buffaloes star will see action during the 2025 season.
Only when fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel gets the chance to start, once the team hands the reins over from Joe Flacco. And it may even come after practice squad signee Bailey Zappe gets some reps.
“... Sanders and his camp haven’t given any indication whatsoever that they’re unhappy with Sanders’ situation here as the third-team quarterback behind Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel,” Cabot wrote.
“In fact, the communication has been positive despite Sanders’ dad, Deion, saying on the New Heights podcast on Monday that ‘I’ve never sat on the bench and said, ‘well, I learned a lot today,’ and that players don’t actually get developed in the pros.
“When the Browns hand the reins to Gabriel, Sanders may or may not be the backup depending on the timing, but he’s also likely to see some action this season.”
The Browns are still not necessarily close to benching Flacco, though. Cleveland’s 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers gives the team a sliver of hope it can compete with anyone across the league.
Sanders’ timeline likely depends on what the front office decides on for the 2026 NFL draft, and the two first-round picks the team has after their draft-night trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars involving Travis Hunter at the No. 2 selection this past April.
Cleveland may be more likely to play Sanders if they want to take a quarterback with one of their picks. If Gabriel is the long-term play, they’ll do what they can to get him as many reps as possible.