Shedeur Sanders was the talk of the NFL after his stellar debut, being thrown into the fire against the Carolina Panthers in the first preseason game. The social media mill was exploding with congratulatory posts, posts condemning the Browns’ approach with Shedeur. Some analysts, including Stephen A. Smith, accused the Browns of setting the fifth-round pick up for failure.
Shedeur Still No.3 On Depth Chart After Steller Performance
With the Browns quarterback room lacking franchise caliber players, and veteran Joe Flacco advanced in age and one hit away from retirement, most assumed the job was Shedeur’s to lose at this point. At the very least, he would be significantly boosted on the depth chart.
However, the “De-Deionization” and humbling of Sanders continues as he was quickly knocked from his perch on Monday.
Fresh off a hot first start in the preseason, where Sanders went 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdowns, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders was still taking reps with the third-team offense at practice during 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills.
Joe Flacco worked with the first team, and Dillon Gabriel earned reps with the second team.
Prior to practice, head coach Kevin Stefanski was still playing cat and mouse games with the media, announcing that the Browns haven’t decided on who would get the starting nod against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.
“I’m not there on the game itself,” Stefanski said, per Oyefusi. “By Wednesday, Thursday, I’ll have a better feel for the game and how we’re going to handle that and I’ll update you guys, but not there yet.”
Based on the fact that Gabriel is taking reps with the second team at practice, it appears Sanders is still considered behind the third-round pick on the depth chart.
Cleveland Browns Use Shaky Excuse As To Why Shedeur Sanders Still Behind Dillon Gabriel On Depth Chart
The Browns offered an excuse that the former Colorado quarterback still had to refine his pre-snap procedures.
Despite taking no snaps with the first team offense, Sanders showed poise, accuracy and leadership in his debut start. In addition, let’s be honest, the entire NFL world is invested in Sanders’ success or failure. His charisma and popularity has people who would otherwise not give a darn about a team that has three winning seasons in the past 22 years, talking about the Cleveland Browns.
But presnap procedures? We didn’t see any difficulty by Sanders in leading the huddle, getting the ball snapped without error. You would think the team would now see what he can really do playing on a level competitive field with the other quarterbacks.
NFL Fans Bash Treatment Of Shedeur Sanders By Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski
Fans were livid when hearing that Sanders was still in the lower rung of the QB depth chart.
“Kevin stefanski need to be fired wtf his deal with Sanders ? Why he treating him like sanders kissed his wife or something. I never seen a head coach have so much coldness and disdain for his player. Especially his QB. Why nobody pushing this issue ?,” said one fan who is against the treatment Shedeur is receiving.
Shedeur Jersey Sales Reach $250M Globally Sine 2025 Draft
“2.3 million people tuned in to watch #Browns vs Panthers on Friday night,” said one fan, crediting Shedeur and the craze surrounding him for the ratings. According to reports, the NFL has already generated $250M in sales of Shedeur’s jersey.
The Cleveland Brown organization is sensitive to people saying he was being “sabotaged.” but it doesn’t look as if the team is setting Sanders up for success.
Former Browns left tackle Joe Thomas posted in defense of his organization on X, with an explanation as to why he hasn’t been named starter for the next game and why he’s still down on the depth chart.
“For everyone pushing the “Browns are setting @ShedeurSanders up to fail” nonsense — read @MaryKayCabot. He’s learning a brand-new offense, mastering NFL pre-snap reads, and the staff is clearly invested in his development.”
Is This All Part Of General Manager Andrew Berry’s Master Plan?
Then again, we have to hold out the possibility that GM Andrew Berry had a plan for Shedeur all along and they are giving him the most challenging road because he has the most potential and they are preparing him to be the long-term answer. Based on how precipitously he fell in the draft and the way his confidence seems to rub people the wrong way for some reason, it’s possible that this is nothing malicious or nefarious. Just a test of Shedeur’s grit. His ability to deal with adversity after being handed the keys to the kingdom by his dad at every step, never playing with any pressure of losing his position.
One thing for sure, there’s no doubt who the fans want, and who the city of Cleveland needs desperately because it’s never easy to figure out which quarterback will be the first to lead your franchise to a Super Bowl.
