The Cleveland Browns' quarterback situation has finally become a source of optimism again following the team's preseason opener. Rookie Shedeur Sanders more than looked the part of QB1 on Friday with his stellar play that already has most fans and even other franchises wondering if they got it all wrong.
With a potential young sensation now on their hands, one would think this performance has made Sanders' development a priority now in Cleveland. However, the Browns' long string of mistakes at the position seems to be continuing following the opener.
Kevin Stefanski was asked if Shedeur Sanders could receive first-team reps in practice next week, especially in light of Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel’s injuries.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 9, 2025
“We need to get through the next couple days from an injury standpoint and see where everybody is. I’m really…
Browns Still Holding Shedeur Sanders Back from 1st Team Reps After Debut
On Saturday, head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke with the media about Sanders' showing. While he did offer some praise to the rookie, Stefanski also showed zero eagerness to get Sanders more involved in practice. In fact, when directly asked about finally giving Sanders first-team reps in camp, Stefanski made that possibility solely hinge on the health of Cleveland's two currently rehabbing signal-callers, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.
No matter how you look at it, this is a serious mishandling of Sanders. The former Colorado standout flashed legitimate promise against the Carolina Panthers, which is exactly what Cleveland's been looking for from a signal-caller out of camp. Yet, Stefanski seems completely content to stifle Sanders at a potential growth point instead of really seeing what the rook can do.
This is especially frustrating when it appears Stefanski is valuing Pickett and Gabriel more than Sanders. Neither QB has done anything in camp to stake their claim as the starter, and both have their own question marks (Pickett being traded by the Super Bowl champs and Gabriel being less desired in a weak quarterback class) that should prevent them from any kind of special treatment.
The entire point of forming a collection of options like this is to see which one(s) rise above the rest. Sanders not only has relished his practice reps with backups and now put together a very strong performance in-game, but he's also stayed healthy. That's the kind of talent that should be taken seriously, instead of for granted.
The Browns are only hurting themselves by not giving Sanders some run with the first team. Maybe he stumbles, but he could also prove himself as the clear best option to start under center. Cleveland deserves to find out whatever the truth is, rather than choosing to stay in the dark for zero good reason.