Shedeur Sanders set the internet on fire Friday with a 14-23 performance in Cleveland's 30-10 win at Carolina in the opening week of the NFL preseason. Sanders showed mobility and pocket awareness over two and a half quarters, throwing a pair of touchdowns to rookie receiver Kaden Davis.
So it was a bit of a shock Monday when the Browns issued a revised depth chart, and the quarterback pecking order remains:
1. Joe Flacco
2. Kenny Pickett
3. Dillon Gabriel
4. Shedeur Sanders
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the update, or rather the lack of an update. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Dillon Gabriel is returning to 11-on-11 drills after a recent hamstring strain, while No. 2 QB Kenny Pickett, a first-round pick of the Steelers in 2022, remains out with a hamstring injury of his own.
In the press room after Sanders' big night, Stefanski told reporters, "We're in evaluation mode. I'm pleased with where the guys are, but I'm not diving into the quarterback competition."
Already Gabriel has come under fire from bloggers and podcasts for being too short and inaccurate for the NFL game despite completing 73 percent of his passes in his bonus senior year at Oregon, good for 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Cleveland travels to defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia this Saturday, a 10:00 a.m. PT game on the NFL Network. Every snap and pass attempt from either of the rookie quarterbacks will be dissected like a frog in Dallas Johnson's biology class, and a few left ventricles are apt to be smooshed in the messy and inexact process.
Opinions vary. Brian Drennan, host of "Bonus Time," a Cleveland sports podcast, said on his show, I heard he was throwing the best in camp until he had the hamstring,"
After his Exhibition Game One performance, some fans were ready to hand Sanders the starting job, but the coaching staff and management want to see more film. Two more weekends of exhibition play happen before the regular season opener on September 7, the Browns hosting division rival Cincinnati and Joe Burrow.
After Shedeur Sanders' performance, do the #Browns listen to offers for Dillon Gabriel? #DawgPound
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) August 11, 2025
"I heard he was throwing the best in camp until he had the hamstring."
-Bruce
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