We all kind of agreed, without even saying it out loud: Shedeur Sanders was QB4 in Cleveland. After all, they picked the guy 144th overall, a fifth-rounder quietly slotted behind two vets and a rookie who was supposedly better than him. From Day 1, he’s been buried at the bottom of the depth chart. It just felt like the story was already written. But what if it’s not? What if all that “developmental” talk is just smoke?
In a recent episode of the 92.3 The Fan podcast, the host gave us an insight into what it will mean for Sanders to outperform Dillon Gabriel (which is already happening). “Things get so loud of Sanders outperforms Dillon Gabriel, which is what everyone is expecting to happen because the ceiling is higher for Shedeur. And Dillion Gabriel has been that bad on the practice field; it has been a disaster this week. Despite being the 144th pick, he might be the 2nd best QB on the roster, maybe the first best if Flacco is washed,” he said. Exactly. Despite all this talk about him being dead last on the depth chart, he has been outperforming not just Dillon, but Flacco and Pickett, too.
“Things get so loud if Shedeur Sanders outperforms Dillon Gabriel. I don’t know that they’re going to be able to keep hiding behind this ‘developmental’ shield forever.”
@NickPedone12 to @RuiterWrongFAN on #Browns preseason, QB competition
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— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 3, 2025
Nine camp sessions in, and he’s quietly leading the pack. Six touchdowns, zero picks. And get this, he’s doing it despite throwing the second-fewest passes. That’s better than Flacco (58.7%), better than Pickett (67.6%), and way ahead of rookie Dillon Gabriel (54.9%). Not bad for the so-called “developmental guy.”
Dillon, on the other hand? Disastrous this week. Just 3-for-14 with a pick on Friday, and then 1-for-6 on Saturday. Shedeur was smooth as ever. He went 6-of-10, made it look easy, and kept showing off that sharp pocket movement and next-level anticipation. That was way beyond what you’d expect from a guy getting limited reps.
Coach Kevin Stefanski’s not hyping him up too much just yet. “He’s working extremely hard… still installing the stuff.” Classic coach-speak. But with Pickett still sidelined and not quite ready to go, it’s getting harder to ignore just how efficient Shedeur’s been. As the host said, “he is bigger and looks more like an NFL player.” Yeah, he really does look like a seasoned vet in those training snaps.
But the real question is this: What will Stefanski do? If Sanders ultimately proves to be the second-best QB (or first, if Flacco is washed) on the roster, will he drop Flacco and Pickett for him? Or will he keep hiding behind the ‘developmental’ shield? But as we go on and on about how good he’s been, an achy arm made him hit the brakes.
Sanders’ shoulder soreness sparks concern
Just as Shedeur Sanders was starting to silence the doubters with some legit standout reps in camp, the curveball hit hard. On Day 9, the Browns announced he’d be held out of team drills with arm soreness. At first, it sounded minor… but now, sources are saying it might be more serious than they let on. And here’s the thing: Shedeur self-reported it.
Suddenly, that QB room got real thin. Pickett’s still out with a hamstring, Gabriel’s been shaky at best, and now with Shedeur sidelined? It just leaves you with Flacco and Gabriel. This was the perfect period for Sanders to cement his name as the second-best QB in the room. And he was doing just that. He’s missing out on some seriously valuable live reps during one of the most important stretches of camp. Talk about rough timing.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cleveland Browns Minicamp Jun 12, 2025 Berea, OH, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel 5 and quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Berea CrossCountry Mortgage Campus OH USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250612_kab_bk4_008
Browns insider Mary Kay made an interesting point: The fact that Shedeur self-reported the soreness matters. “He’s fighting for a job… and wouldn’t miss reps unless he truly had to,” she said. Even Browns legend Bernie Kosar weighed in. He gets the hype, hot rookies are exciting, but he warned against rushing things. “We kill more QBs by forcing them in too soon,” he said. Still, he gave Shedeur props for his poise and work ethic, calling him “poised under pressure.”
With preseason kicking off on August 8, even a “minor” shoulder issue can throw everything off. For Shedeur, missing just two practices is a big deal. That’s basically two lost chances to show he deserves a real shot at cracking the top two. And in a QB room this stacked? Even the smallest slip can cost you. Momentum matters, and right now, it’s hanging in the balance.
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