“The most popular player on the team is the backup quarterback.”
It’s an adage as old as the forward pass. It’s not attributed to anyone, but it’s a sentiment voiced by everyone from Bill Belichick to Sonny Jurgensen. A confident young signal-caller in Cleveland might build steam as the Browns’ most popular quarterback option.
No, it’s not former Oregon Duck Dillon Gabriel, but rather, Shedeur Sanders. The young man was gashed in the press by anonymous reports about his meetings with team executives and draft evaluators.
Yet, the player who went from being touted as a top-five pick to being a fifth-rounder is experiencing a groundswell of support.
Wait, Shedeur Sanders Is a Fan Favorite? Already?
Tony Grossi went on ESPN Cleveland and said, “(Sanders) has such incredible fan support that if he isn’t given any opportunities, the Browns are going to hear about that.”
“He has such incredible fan support that if he isn’t given opportunities, the Browns are going to hear about that,” – @TonyGrossi on the Shedeur Sanders impact on training camp this year.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/vkCtX0RIKO
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 18, 2025
Well, who had that on their bingo card? There are reports that Sanders has been impressing people with his throwing. No matter which group he has reps with, he’s slinging the ball all over the field and catching up to presumed starter Joe Flacco faster than expected. In late May, Sanders had been putting up impressive numbers during practice.
Browns practice is in the books. Here’s how all 4 QBs stacked up with their throwing reps in team drills 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/NsIZmjQSy3
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 28, 2025
Sanders’s popularity on social media has soared, and his jersey is selling well. However, tempering this enthusiasm with some grounded common sense would be wise. As multiple posters pointed out in response to Grossi, Sanders is getting opportunities in OTAs and minicamps.
He’s still learning head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense and working in seven-on-seven drills. Every team is at the stage in the offseason where the focus is on teaching. These are practice reps designed to get the players up to speed in stages, so it’s more akin to pretending a Commis Chef is ready to be a Sous Chef in three months.
The Browns are still installing their offense, and the only quarterback who understands the playbook is Flacco. Even though he has three NFL seasons under his belt, Kenny Pickett is also learning a new offense.
Neither Gabriel nor Sanders have taken significant reps with the first team, so it’s not unrealistic to assume that Sanders’ best shot at starting won’t be until around midseason, assuming he beats out Gabriel and Pickett for No. 2 on the depth chart.
The more realistic outlook is to focus on Sanders’s ability to absorb the playbook, execute a variety of throws, ask lots of questions in the quarterback room, and learn the ins and outs of being a professional instead of a college quarterback.
Late-night speeding tickets notwithstanding, Sanders seems to be on his way there.
