Browns coach reveals Shedeur Sanders' chances of starting Week 1

Billy Heyen

Browns coach reveals Shedeur Sanders' chances of starting Week 1 image

Shedeur Sanders has a chance.

That's all the former Colorado star could possibly ask for in his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns. Head coach Kevin Stefanski joined ESPN Cleveland's radio show on Friday and hinted at the wide-open quarterback competition.

The Browns have four healthy QBs right now: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders.

Stefanski was asked whether all four will really get a shot to compete for the starting job.

"If you're on our roster, you're competing for a role," Stefanski said.

That's quite strong coach speak, but it also does leave the door open.

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Sanders completed 74 percent of his passes in his final season at Colorado. There's room for a passer of the football like that in the NFL.

The Browns seem more likely to go with a veteran in Flacco or Pickett for Week 1 before leaving the door open for rookies Gabriel and/or Sanders to see time as the season goes on.

Cleveland opens the season against the Bengals. It'd certainly be quite the sight to have Sanders starting opposite Joe Burrow.

But maybe, just maybe, that could happen.

Only a few times in NFL history has a quarterback drafted in the fifth round ended up starting Week 1 as a rookie. Sanders, after his historic draft free fall, would gladly like to join that list.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle