The Cleveland Browns have made it clear since springtime exercises that Shedeur Sanders is their fourth-choice option at quarterback.
That has led to some outsiders accusing the workforce of “sabotaging” the fifth-round draft decide’s probabilities of profitable the beginning job.
For an article printed on Thursday morning, Browns insider Jason Lloyd of The Athletic addressed the Sanders-related narrative that has hovered over the workforce all through coaching camp.
“There is no such thing as a conspiracy idea in opposition to Shedeur Sanders,” Lloyd wrote. “The Cleveland Browns are usually not out to damage his profession or set him as much as fail. The Browns are merely treating him like a fifth-round rookie and the fourth quarterback on their depth chart. Nothing extra, nothing much less.”
2025 third-round draft decide Dillon Gabriel has been above Sanders on the depth chart because the voluntary portion of the offseason program, despite the fact that many NFL analysts seen Gabriel as a third-day choice again in April. Whereas followers noticed Sanders as a first-round expertise this previous spring, stories later emerged claiming that his alleged handling of the predraft course of rubbed some groups the mistaken approach.
Sanders will serve because the Browns beginning quarterback for his or her preseason opener on the Carolina Panthers this coming Friday night time solely as a result of Gabriel and presumed backup Kenny Pickett have been lately slowed by hamstring accidents. No matter how Sanders performs at Carolina’s Financial institution of America Stadium, it appears he has no probability of difficult veteran Joe Flacco for the QB1 gig this month.
“The concept that the Browns are someway sabotaging Sanders is absurd,” Lloyd continued. “…However the Browns additionally very clearly advised you they didn’t consider Sanders was worthy of being a franchise quarterback after they handed on him with the second decide within the draft. After which the fifth pick. After which twice extra within the second spherical, twice within the third and as soon as within the fourth earlier than lastly coming again up within the fifth to take him. If the Browns thought he was prepared to steer a franchise, they’d’ve drafted him within the first spherical.”
In late July, Browns proprietor Jimmy Haslam made it known he “completely” want to see each rookie signal-callers take snaps in significant video games if Cleveland has a dropping report within the second half of the upcoming season.
That mentioned, FanDuel Sportsbook continued to checklist Flacco as a -265 betting favourite to start out the Browns’ Week 1 matchup in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7, as of Thursday morning. To match, Sanders was at +2500 odds.
Such info seemingly reveals that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski will not be in a rush to play Sanders this fall, no matter what followers and nationwide media members must say concerning the state of affairs.
