After a period of speculation during the offseason regarding the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback depth chart, rookie Shedeur Sanders has been confirmed as the team’s third quarterback on the 53-man roster. This news follows the trade of Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders and recent additions to the practice squad.
Sanders, a 23-year-old alumnus of Colorado, faced competition for a spot behind presumed starters but secured his role after Pickett was moved for a fifth-round draft pick. The Browns also signed Bailey Zappe, formerly with the New England Patriots, to their practice squad earlier this week. This move led to questions about whether Zappe might compete with Sanders or be insurance in case of future changes to the active roster.
Addressing these concerns, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski clarified Sanders’ position within the organization. “#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski tells reporters that Shedeur Sanders will be the third QB, meaning he’s able to dress for games,” Rapoport stated.
According to National Football League guidelines, teams are allowed three quarterbacks on game day rosters. The designated “emergency third QB” does not count against the 46-man active list for other positions. As such, Stefanski’s statement effectively rules out immediate changes at that position and confirms Sanders is set to continue in his current capacity.
Although Sanders did not win out over Gabriel for the No. 2 quarterback spot in Cleveland, he has received positive evaluations from some observers about his potential upside. Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Joe Thomas offered praise in a recent interview published by Outkick.com: “He has a higher ceiling (than most fifth-round picks). He’s a great playmaker, has tremendous accuracy. He has that feel when he’s in the game of how to make big plays. But just because you have that ceiling that’s really high and that potential to be able to do that, that doesn’t mean you can do that right now.(…)I think the reason Shedeur fell to the fifth round is because he’s got a lot of development that he still needs to do before he can be an NFL starting quarterback.”
Sanders and his supporters will look forward as he continues developing within Cleveland’s system under observation from team leadership and fans alike.
