The Cleveland Browns are apparently not prepared to advertise Shedeur Sanders to backup quarterback – even after buying and selling Joe Flacco to the Bengals.
Flacco started the 2025 season because the Browns’ starter, solely to be dropped in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel forward of final week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The 40-year-old was then traded to Cincinnati to the ‘shock’ of head coach Kevin Stefanski. That left Gabriel because the starter and Sanders as the one different quarterback listed on the Browns depth chart.
However forward of this week’s conflict with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Stefanski refused to verify that Sanders will transfer as much as QB 2.
The son of NFL legend Deion Sanders was chosen by the Browns after an embarrassing slide to the fifth spherical of this yr’s draft.
He has been inactive for Cleveland’s first 5 video games, serving because the emergency quarterback. However it’s attainable that Bailey Zappe might be activated from the follow squad to play behind Gabriel.
The Browns are apparently not prepared to advertise Shedeur Sanders to backup quarterback
Head coach Kevin Stefanski refused to verify whether or not Sanders will transfer as much as QB 2
‘All roster-type of issues, I all the time must be conscious of our gamers and our gamers’ growth,’ Stefanski stated on Wednesday, when requested about Sanders being promoted to No 2.
‘And I wish to guarantee that I am all the time doing what´s finest for our gamers and, in fact, our workforce.
‘Final week, making the change to Dillon, it’s important to assume lengthy and exhausting about that, as a result of these are younger gamers that you’re so invested of their growth. So, I am going to let the choice play out and decide later.’
Gabriel confirmed poise in his debut final week in London towards Minnesota. The rookie is the forty first totally different quarterback to start out for the Browns since 1999.
However Sanders is prone to begin sooner or later this season because the Browns (1-4) attempt to finish a decades-long seek for a franchise QB.
There’s a vocal phase of Cleveland’s fan base clamoring to see if Sanders, who has a robust arm and social media presence, could be that man.
Stefanski stated the transfer to ship the 40-year-old Flacco to a division rival caught him off guard. The Browns re-signed Flacco, who led them on a playoff run in 2023, as a free agent on this offseason and had him begin 4 video games earlier than benching him.
‘That was not one thing that we noticed coming,’ Stefanski stated. ‘They known as us and it occurred very quick.’
Joe Flacco started the 2025 season because the Browns’ starter earlier than being traded to the Bengals
Dillon Gabriel is the brand new starter, with Sanders the one different QB listed on their depth chart
The coach added: ‘I belief AB (common supervisor Andrew Berry)… we discuss each determination we make. They needed Joe. They made the cellphone name. Clearly, it provides Joe a possibility to go play once more, however I belief in our choices.’
Sanders addressed the Flacco commerce on Tuesday, telling FOX8: ‘He was positively any person I leaned on for knowledge, and I really feel he helped me so much.’
The 23-year-old added; ‘He helped me so much in my time being right here in Cleveland and his time being right here in Cleveland.
‘All people has their very own destinies and have their very own plans…I’m simply pleased for him.’
