For the first time since Baker Mayfield defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, the Cleveland Browns have hope at the quarterback position. With a sizable portion of the quarterback room battling injuries, rookie fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders earned the start in Cleveland’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. The rookie made the most of his opportunity, completing 14 of his 23 passes for 138 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions while adding another 19 yards on four scrambles.
Obviously, it’s too early to say whether or not Shedeur Sanders can be a franchise quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Fifth-round picks rarely work out, and you should never overanalyze preseason results. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that Jarrett Stidham looked like the inevitable heir to Tom Brady. However, if nothing else, Sanders’ performance should be enough to elevate him on the depth chart, which could mean the end of one Cleveland’s other quarterbacks.
Browns Could Trade Another Quarterback After Strong Sheduer Sanders Debut
As of this posting, the Cleveland Browns have five relatively healthy quarterbacks on the roster: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, rookie Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Tyler Huntley. Gabriel isn’t going anywhere, as he’s a third-round pick and Cleveland will want to see what he can do on the practice field when he gets healthy. Huntley, meanwhile, only signed due to injuries and will probably lose his job once everyone is back to full strength. This likely leaves Flacco and Pickett battling for one job, with the loser landing on the trade block.
While anything can happen between now and the regular season, all signs point towards Flacco winning the Week 1 job. While the former Super Bowl MVP is entering his age-40 season, he has played well in limited opportunities over the past few seasons. Pickett, meanwhile, crashed and burned with the Pittsburgh Steelers and didn’t do anything during his short-lived tenure in Philadelphia.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – Imagn Images
