As expected, Shedeur Sanders has been the talk of the Cleveland Browns’ training camp this offseason, after the AFC North team halted his historic draft slide in the fifth round back in April. Cleveland has six quarterbacks on the roster, including the injured Deshaun Watson, after also drafting Oregon favorite Dillon Gabriel on Day 2.
Gabriel and former Pittsburgh Steeler Kenny Pickett are injured, while veteran Joe Flacco will not be involved. This means Sanders will start in his first appearance for his new team and make way for the newly signed Tyler Huntley.
The news of Sanders’ involvement has been warmly received in Cleveland, with one Browns analyst excited to see the rookie’s first NFL outing.
Shedeur Sanders in Line for Significant Reps for Browns’ in Preseason Week 1
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot reported on August 5, three days before the Browns’ preseason opener, that Sanders would be starting. Sanders has seen very few first-team reps and has looked like the clear No. 4 on the team’s quarterback depth chart this offseason, but he will get his chance against Carolina.
Many fans and analysts have been frustrated at Sanders’s lack of opportunities since joining Cleveland, with three quarterbacks ahead of him. The former Colorado star has even received one-to-one coaching while his teammates participate in team drills.
However, injuries to Pickett and Gabriel have opened the door for Sanders to show what he can do. On ESPN Cleveland radio, Browns analyst Tony Grossi voiced his cautious optimism regarding the rookie quarterback.
Sounds like Shedeur Sanders is going to play a LOT tonight and @TonyGrossi thinks he’s going to do well… pic.twitter.com/iPSRDPaLdJ
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 8, 2025
“He’s gonna get a lot of snaps. Now, they won’t all be passing, of course, and there’ll be a lot of runs. But there’ll be plenty of – a body of work – there, to make a reasonable judgement on him.”
Sanders To Be the Only Quarterback of Interest to Cleveland
Grossi should, in theory, be right about Sanders’ gametime against the Panthers. The team won’t be playing Flacco, making recent addition Huntley the only other quarterback that will suit up for the Browns.
Huntley has been signed to make up the numbers, with Pickett and Gabriel missing time, and will likely only see the field once Cleveland decides to end Sanders’ involvement. The Browns already had too many quarterbacks on the roster before signing Huntley, so they likely won’t be concerned with what the former Raven has to offer.
The Browns surely know how much time they want to give Sanders against the Panthers. They should, though, take advantage of a rare opportunity to see the rookie in action, with their three other options out of action. Sanders, though, will be without starting wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, who won’t feature against Carolina.
Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. will be one to watch after leading the FBS in both receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,555) last year. Fourth-round rookie running back Dylan Sampson will also be eager to impress, with a potential starting role up for grabs following Quinshon Judkins’ off-field issues.
