Shedeur Sanders might be the most polarizing player in the NFL — and he hasn’t even taken a snap.
In fact, there’s still no guarantee the former Colorado Buffaloes star even make the Cleveland Browns’ 53-man roster.
Sanders recently signed a four-year, $4.6 million rookie contract with the Browns after being selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. But with a crowded quarterback room, it’s unclear how much playing time he’ll actually see in his first season.
According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, Sanders will be part of a four-man quarterback competition that also includes fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, along with veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco.
A recent report from ESPN Cleveland noted that Pickett and Gabriel are currently taking the majority of first- and second-team reps, suggesting Sanders may start camp as QB3 or QB4.
In his latest rookie quarterback projections, analyst ESPN's Mike Clay has Sanders starting four games this season. Clay projects Sanders to throw for 925 yards and four touchdowns, ranking him fifth among rookie quarterbacks.
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Gabriel, who was drafted just ahead of Sanders in the third round, is projected to start five games with 1,205 passing yards and five touchdowns, placing him fourth.
“Both rookies figure to get some 2025 run because of the uncertainty surrounding Flacco and Pickett,” Clay wrote.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon doesn’t see a smooth road ahead for anyone in Cleveland’s quarterback room, forecasting what could be another year of instability.
“My guess? Flacco is out by the end of September, Pickett gets fried by the Vikings and Steelers in October, and the struggling Browns go to Sanders for a mid-October home matchup with Miami,” Gagnon wrote. “Even that should be a roller-coaster ride, and I’ll bet a team that is long out of it goes out of its way to get a look at Gabriel before the campaign comes to an end.”
Whether Sanders gets his shot or not, it’s clear that Cleveland’s quarterback situation remains as unsettled as any in the league.