Many NFL fans were wondering and waiting to see who the Cleveland Browns would name as their backup quarterback after their final preseason game.
Would it be one of the rookie quarterbacks – Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders? Or would they give the QB2 job to Kenny Pickett, who missed a lot of time in training camp and preseason due to injury?
The Browns decided to make Gabriel the backup behind Joe Flacco and traded Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders. With Pickett out of the picture and Gabriel being named QB2, it cemented Sanders as the QB3.
However, that didn’t stop the Browns from making another addition to the quarterback room, signing Bailey Zappe to the practice squad. Despite the Zappe addition, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski set the record straight regarding Sanders and his role.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski says Shedeur Sanders is the third QB even tho Bailey Zappe is now on the practice squad.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 28, 2025
Shedeur Sanders to Still Be Browns’ QB3, Despite Zappe Signing
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Stefanski told reporters Thursday that Sanders is the team’s third quarterback, even though they signed Zappe to the practice squad.
It’s good to see Stefanski make the proclamation, as small as it is, since the third quarterback is not active on gamedays. Zappe won't be a factor at all. We know what his ceiling and floor are at this stage of his NFL career.
The Browns head coach was getting hammered on social media during and after the team’s third preseason. Some fans believed he didn’t give the rookie QB a fair chance with some of the play calls.
Then Stefanski pulled Sanders out of the game late in the fourth quarter for Tyler Huntley to run a two-minute drill situation. And fans were puzzled by that decision because Huntley is a vet and won’t be on the team when the season begins.
That said, as QB3, Sanders will get the chance to develop and work on his skills. While his last preseason game wasn’t his finest performance, we can say that what Sanders showed in his debut against the Carolina Panthers gives hope for what he can become in the NFL.
The Browns will hope that Flacco can hold down the fort as the starter for most of the season. However, depending on where the Browns are in the AFC North standings by late November and early December, it would be imperative to see what the rookie QBs can do in the regular season.