Although Shedeur Sanders was selected in the fifth round and Dillon Gabriel in the third, it’s the reps, not the resumes, that tell the whole story. Both were described as developing quarterbacks with potential when they arrived at the Browns’ facility for OTAs. That’s where the similarities ended. Kenny Pickett and Gabriel have already been sharing first-team snaps. Sanders, on the other hand, has not sniffed a rep with the starter and is locked in at QB4. That’s not just unusual. It’s beginning to look deliberate.
During Day 2 of OTAs, Sanders had a 7-of-9 day with three touchdowns and no picks, among other early flashes. Still, he hasn’t climbed the ladder. At forty, Joe Flacco is still running with the twos, and Gabriel has completely leapfrogged Sanders. The cracks are visible, but Sanders isn’t openly complaining. Though with four quarterbacks in the room, there are likely only three roster spots, and the math doesn’t favor Sanders.
The unbalanced setup is what sparked ESPN to raise the alarm on social media. In a segment of ESPN’s Get Up, Louis Riddick echoed that assessment on-air. He praised Shedeur Sanders’ approach but acknowledged the uphill battle. “Shedeur will get the opportunity as he continues to progress and earn the trust of the coaching staff…Mike T’s right. He’s the most talented thrower on that roster, but that doesn’t matter. If you don’t get the opportunity, and the only way you get the opportunities you have to earn it. You have to earn more opportunities and I think he has the right mindset right now in terms of how he’s approaching that it really is a hell of a thing that he’s trying to get done.”
And Riddick also believes that Shedeur has extraordinary talent, which makes him perfect to be QB1. “And if he does wind up starting at some point this season, given the lack of reps that he’s going to be getting right now, it’s gonna be a Herculean feat and one that we won’t be able to spend enough time talking about just how big of a deal that really is,” Riddick added.
Syndication: Akron Beacon Journal Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 watches quarterback Dillon Gabriel 5 during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. Akron , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJeffxLangex USATSI_26143965
It wasn’t the first time this concern surfaced. In another Get Up segment, Riddick blamed the Browns’ coaching staff specifically. “It’s going to be incumbent upon this coaching staff to give him a path to really earn that…I think his skill set is such that he can compete with anybody on that roster in the quarterback room. As a matter of fact, he can probably, you know, just one for one man for man beat out anybody on that roster.” But no matter how much he studies, the tape doesn’t lie. He’s not being given a real shot. That’s the disconnect.
During early OTA sessions, Shedeur Sanders’ workload raised some questions about his standing in the quarterback depth chart. While he logged just nine pass attempts, he did manage to throw three touchdowns in 7-on-7 drills. Still, the limited reps initially made it unclear whether Sanders was truly in the mix for the starting job. Browns head coach, Kevin Stefanski, has cautioned against reading too much into rep counts, especially since the media only sees a portion of the full practice schedule.
In the latest round of OTAs, Sanders once again delivered three touchdown throws — a repeat of his earlier showing — and that consistency has started to catch fans’ attention. Once considered a potential first-round draft pick, Sanders unexpectedly slid to the fifth round, but his recent flashes suggest that Cleveland may have found a hidden gem.
According to ESPN Cleveland’s Kimberley A. Martin, there are voices within the Browns organization who see Sanders as a future starter. For now, though, veteran Joe Flacco is expected to open the season as the team’s QB1.“In that building, there are people who believe Shedeur can 100 per cent be the starter of this football team…It’s also incumbent upon Shedeur to do the work, which, talking to people in that building, they have said he is soaking up everything like a sponge in the QB rooms, talking to Flacco, wanting to learn.” But while the Browns continue to keep Shedeur at arm’s length, another team is quietly circling.
Steelers circle as Browns leave Shedeur Sanders in limbo
The Pittsburgh Steelers recently made waves when they signed Aaron Rodgers to a $13.65 million, one-year contract, thereby securing their starting quarterback through 2025. However, the Steelers’ depth chart is questionable after Rodgers. Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Skylar Thompson complete a group that has limited potential in the long run. That has sparked a new trade pitch: send Shedeur Sanders to Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.
The logic? It’s simple. Sanders was a fifth-round pick. If they don’t plan on using him, if Gabriel is already the future, then flipping Sanders for a higher pick makes sense. And, it’s a low-risk strategy with possible rewards for Pittsburgh. Some analysts believe that Sanders is a first-round talent who may grow quietly behind Rodgers as he gets ready for a long-term position.
There is a twist, of course. Sanders was passed on by Pittsburgh several times in the 2025 draft. They could have taken him, but they chose to draft Will Howard in the sixth instead. Therefore, to give away a third-round pick now would be to acknowledge that they made a mistake. Still, with Rodgers nearing the end and no heir apparent in the room, Sanders could be worth the recalibration.
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