The Cleveland Browns are in quite a spot with their quarterback room. With rehabbing Deshaun Watson on the back burner, there’s a serious competition brewing between veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and incoming rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, all trying to carve out their place.
It’s clear the Browns see a future in Sanders, as they were the first NFL team to take a chance on him, and now they’re putting him in a unique position at OTAs.
NFL Analyst Wants Answers on Browns’ Approach to Sanders During OTAs
Cleveland’s depth chart, as it stands, has Watson at QB1, but while he rehabs his Achilles, the starting gig is up for grabs. While reports suggest that Pickett looked like one of the worst players on the field during OTAs, both Sanders and Gabriel still need to earn a spot on the roster.
In a surprising twist, Sanders was spotted practicing on a separate field while the other QBs shared reps on the main one.
On an episode of “The Dawgs,” it was revealed that Sanders worked alone for some modified 7-on-7s while the other three quarterbacks worked on the opposite field.
“For a guy like Sanders, who ran nothing but shotgun at Colorado, he needs as many reps as possible to transition from the college-style offense into this NFL style where you’re under center,” podcast host Josh Aul said. “You’ve got three quarterbacks splitting 7-on-7s over here while Sanders is taking every single rep.”
People have looked at this both ways. We’ve heard that Shedeur Sanders was working on a separate practice field because the Browns want to maximize his reps. We’ve also heard it was because he’s just the QB4 and not really in contention with the other three QBs.
“Who were the… pic.twitter.com/bFohNaHeMR
— The Dawgs – A Cleveland Browns Podcast (@thedawgspodcast) June 6, 2025
Aul went on to explain the key differences between the college and pro game, especially when it comes to play-action. In the NFL, quarterbacks have to turn their backs to the defense during the play fake, something Sanders needs to learn. With him getting triple the reps compared to the other QBs, he might already have a developmental edge.
While Flacco, Pickett and Gabriel were grouped on one field, Aul wondered who was working with Sanders. It could’ve been QB coach Bill Musgrave or even head coach Kevin Stefanski, which raises questions about how much individual attention Sanders is getting — and how much that takes away from the rest of the room.
No further details were given, but it’s safe to assume most of the coaching staff kept their eyes on the main field where the team’s presumed top three quarterbacks were working.
