Total Pro Sports
The Cleveland Browns will start rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders in Friday’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the 23-year-old Shedeur Sanders “is expected to start” Cleveland’s preseason opener at Bank of America Stadium (7:00 p.m. EST).
It’s certainly a welcoming development for Shedeur, Deion Sanders and fans of the highly-touted rookie. Sanders is in a four-way battle with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel for Cleveland’s starting quarterback job, so Friday gives the rookie a golden opportunity to strengthen his case.
Pickett and Gabriel are dealing with hamstring injuries, Cabot noted, so it’s assumed that they’ll be rested against Carolina for precautionary reasons. It’s also likely that Flacco, the presumed favorite for the starting QB1 job, will be rested.
#Browns QB Shedeur Sanders is expected to start Friday night's preseason opener on the road vs. the #Panthers with Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel both nursing hamstring injuries, source tells clevelanddotcom: —-> https://t.co/rGobOe9RtW
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 5, 2025
On Monday, the Browns signed former Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins backup Tyler Huntley. Since Shedeur Sanders is unlikely to play the entire game, Huntley will probably see his fair share of reps against Carolina as well.
The Browns rebuilt their quarterback room this offseason after Deshaun Watson re-ruptured his Achilles, which will likely sideline him for all of 2025. They signed Flacco and traded for Pickett before using third and fifth-round picks on Gabriel and Sanders, respectively.
Sanders was widely expected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he slipped out of the first four rounds in an all-time stunner. Finally, the wait ended when Cleveland selected him 144th overall in round five.
There’s still plenty of work ahead, but getting the start for the preseason game against Carolina is an ideal opportunity for Sanders to showcase his talent and convince the Browns that he should be the starting QB for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
