Pro Football Rumors
Injuries have stalled the Browns’ four-man quarterback competition. They will lead to an unlikely starter to open Cleveland’s preseason docket.
Shedeur Sanders, who has yet to take a first-team snap during training camp, is expected to start the Browns’ exhibition opener Friday, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports. Recently deemed a long shot to win the starting job, Sanders will receive this opportunity due to injuries sustained by Kenny Pickett and third-rounder Dillon Gabriel.
The Browns will pass on Joe Flacco playing in this game, per Cabot, and they added Tyler Huntley — who spent the 2024 offseason in Cleveland — as another option for this contest. Pickett has acknowledged he is losing ground due to the hamstring injury he sustained, one that has Flacco positioned as the best bet to start in Week 1. The Browns have plenty of intel on Flacco, so holding out their 40-year-old option makes sense.
Sanders’ participation in the game is interesting by itself, as the fifth-round rookie is battling a sore shoulder. It is evidently not a notable enough issue to prompt the Browns to sideline him for their preseason debut against the Panthers. Gabriel joins Pickett in nursing a hamstring injury.
More to come.
