As the 2025 NFL season draws closer, it remains an uphill battle for Shedeur Sanders to make it as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Seen as a franchise quarterback and potential first-round pick, his draft day slide has completely altered the trajectory of his career.
From franchise savior, his role has quickly morphed into fourth-string quarterback, fighting to carve out a niche for himself on the Browns. Thankfully for the son of the legendary Deion Sanders, Cleveland has yet to make an official decision about their QB1, keeping him in the loop and allowing him to improve on his performances each day of training camp.
Shedeur Sanders Continuing Upward Trajectory?
With Deshaun Watson declared out for the entire 2025 season, the Browns were in desperate need of a quarterback to man the most important position in the sport. In an overcorrection, they found four names to hold that role potentially.
Signing former Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco and trading for Kenny Pickett wasn’t enough. Cleveland also drafted both Dillon Gabriel and Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. But head coach Kevin Stefanski can only trot out one of the four as the team’s starter.
As a result, throughout the offseason, the four have been locked in an intense QB battle. That battle has continued and caught the limelight through the first three days of training camp, with ESPN Cleveland providing updated statistics for each day’s numbers. The training began with a brutal start and proceeded.
Sanders had a bounce-back on the second day, completing 100% of his passes. His upward trajectory continued through Day 3 as well. He not only wowed the onlookers with precise bombs, but his overall numbers were also impressive.
Shedeur SZN 🤫🤫 pic.twitter.com/HzKoYMTvpx
— DA Dynasty (@DADynasty_) July 25, 2025
ESPN Cleveland revealed that Flacco (4/11), Gabriel (4/8), and Pickett (2/6) all struggled on the third day against a locked-in Browns defense. While the latter was the only four to record a touchdown, Sanders was far more efficient, completing five of his eight pass attempts.
Day 3 of Browns training camp is in the books. Here’s how all 4 QBs performed in team drills.
Gabriel had a session with the 1s. Sanders got a series of reps with the 2s. Both firsts in training camp. pic.twitter.com/i8FssAIBhC
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 25, 2025
Moreover, the page also had some interesting information about the proceedings. “Gabriel had a session with the 1s. Sanders got a series of reps with the 2s. Both firsts in training camp.” For the Colorado Buffaloes alum, it is a small step in a big journey.
Shedeur with the 🎯🎯🎯 pic.twitter.com/GxenH9H8TX
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 25, 2025
But as he continues to make highlight-worthy plays and impress in training camp, he will only make Stefanski’s job harder and give himself a better chance at the starting job, at least in the near future.
