We’ve reached the “let’s find out about the rookie quarterbacks” stage of the season for the Cleveland Browns and it only took five games.
Dillon Gabriel got his shot Sunday, Oct. 5 in the Browns’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London. He completed 19-of-33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. It was a serviceable debut. But from this corner – mostly early in the game – there were moments that Gabriel looked ill at ease.
So, after one game, it makes perfect sense then to be talking about the third-string quarterback. He is “he who must not be named” in some quarters. To reasonable people, he is Shedeur Sanders.
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Ian Rapoport, insider for NFL Network, reports that Sanders will get his moment in the limelight – eventually.
According to his report, Sanders has been making progress behind the scenes in extra practice sessions – not enough for him to be Gabriel’s backup Sunday in London, but, apparently, enough to open some eyes.
What does it mean for Shedeur Sanders going forward?
He must continue to learn and bide his time because contrary to popular belief, the team isn’t sabotaging Sanders, Rapoport said. This is why he wasn’t the backup.
“The Browns want Sanders to be successful when he’s out there. When he plays, they want him to do so with a game plan that is made for him to thrive,” he wrote. “As the backup, if he was forced into action, he’d be running a game plan built for Gabriel, rather than one built to his strengths. Is that fair to Sanders?”
For Browns fans, quarterback switches represent seismic change. The earth along Lake Erie will move when Sanders gets a shot that some are hoping he won’t throw away.
“The expectation is that Sanders will play at some point this season when he’s ready,” Rapoport writes. “When he does play, it would be with a full week of practice and a game plan built for him.”
Why does it matter if the Browns see Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders play?
There’s a reason why it’s necessary to see both of these guys with the starters. The Browns own two first-round choices in the 2026 NFL draft. Consensus is the Browns will be looking to select – shock of all shock – a quarterback.
But here’s the dilemma for the Browns: right now, there is no consensus as to who the next sure NFL prospect at the position is. The danger in preseason projections lies in knowing eventually games will come into play.
Preseason favorites can turn into pumpkins around this time of year after some things are put on tape. “Sure-fire” preseason QBs such as Cade Klubnik (Clemson), Arch Manning (Texas) and Medina’s Drew Allar (Penn State) have watched their potential draft stock along with their team’s respective rankings and records plunge.
Texas and Penn State were ranked Nos. 1 and 2 prior to the season’s start and neither hold a position in the lates AP poll. Clemson has been unranked for weeks.
If ever there exists a reason for the Browns to see what they have, there it is. Because even as others such as quarterbacks LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) and Jordan Mendoza (Indiana) rise on some draft boards, absolutely nothing is guaranteed. With the Browns going into a new stadium by 2029, they cannot afford to miss – again.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Will Browns QB Shedeur Sanders start this season? NFL insider thinks so
Reporting by George M. Thomas, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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