The Cleveland Browns won’t name a starting quarterback for several months, but rookie Shedeur Sanders is turning heads during offseason workouts.
Cleveland selected Sanders early in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft after the QB fell in unprecedented fashion. He spent rookie minicamp competing with third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and is now vying for position with veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco.
Recent reports indicate that Sanders has turned the heads of Browns coaches with his play early in the preseason, which could have major implications for his roster status come Week 1 in September.
“Shedeur Sanders reportedly had Browns coaches ‘shocked’ at his precision and accuracy with the short time they had with him at rookie minicamp. Sanders reportedly was throwing the ball with the ‘touch’ of a 10-year NFL veteran,” the NFL Rookie Watch X account posted on Sunday, May 18. “[He] reportedly has ‘goals’ of winning the QB1 position for the Browns and competing for Offensive Rookie of the Year this season. Sanders is currently not even LISTED on the Browns depth chart. However, several sources close to the Browns reportedly believe Sanders is the ‘most talented QB in the room’ and will rise rapidly once training camp is underway.”
Shedeur Sanders Faces Veteran Competition for Starting QB Role
Sanders recently inked a four-year deal worth $4.6 million. Given his draft status this year and his contract, he’s likely to get several bites at the apple over the next two or three seasons to win the starting job. The same is probably true of Gabriel, who is also a rookie and playing on a similarly cheap contract.
Flacco and Pickett, however, are likely competing for both the starting job and a roster spot, as Cleveland has five quarterbacks on the roster. Even if both end up in the top two slots based on preseason performance, there is a reasonable chance the Browns deal one of them before the season starts.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson remains on the roster despite an Achilles tear that could sideline him for the entirety of the 2025 season, as he has two years remaining on a $230 million contract that is fully guaranteed.
Shedeur Sanders Has Traits of Starting NFL Quarterback
Sanders has the pocket presence, toughness and accuracy required to be a starting quarterback at the professional level, based on pre-draft assessments from the majority of scouts.
It was Sanders’ cavalier attitude during interviews with some teams that turned most of the league off of him as a potential first-round pick, which is where the likes of ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and other prominent draft prognosticators predicted he would come off the board.
Instead, Sanders dropped all the way to the fifth round and has since changed his tune about the opportunity to play at the NFL level. That, along with his exceptional play during the preseason, could put him in position to start for the Browns at some point this season.
That may not happen in Week 1. However, Cleveland will likely struggle in 2025, which could mean a mid-season QB change, and Sanders is positioning himself to get a shot during his rookie campaign if that is, in fact, how the Browns’ season plays out.
