Shedeur Sanders, the rookie quarterback for the Browns, will serve as the backup to Dillon Gabriel this Sunday in their divisional matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as announced by coach Kevin Stefanski on Friday.
Initially, Stefanski was uncertain if Sanders, a fifth-round draft choice, or practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe would support Gabriel, a third-round pick, following the Browns’ trade of Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the week. Sanders has now been designated as the backup after starting his NFL journey as Cleveland’s No. 4 quarterback.
Stefanski stated: “I’m always thinking about our players and what’s best for our players,”
“And I want to make sure when it comes to young football players, particularly at the quarterback position, that you are intentional about your decision-making, and that’s really all it is. So, excited for all our guys.”
Throughout the first five games of the season, Sanders has held the position of the team’s No. 3 quarterback and emergency option, remaining inactive on game days.
Selected as the 144th overall pick in this year’s draft, Sanders had limited opportunities during a competitive quarterback lineup throughout the summer. However, he secured a place on the Browns’ 53-man roster after Cleveland traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders and released Tyler Huntley. In the first month of the season, Sanders shared scout team responsibilities with Gabriel and Zappe.
