Sportsnaut
The Cleveland Browns recently released their first official depth chart ahead of their initial preseason matchup. Interestingly enough, Shedeur Sanders was listed as the fourth-string quarterback on the roster, behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel.
Cleveland’s first exhibition matchup is on Friday, August 8, against the Carolina Panthers, and Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has already announced his starting quarterback.
According to Stefanski, the Browns will be starting Sanders in their preseason Week 1 matchup this Friday.
It’s a huge opportunity for Sanders as he’ll presumably be going up a few of the Panthers’ starters on defense. If nothing else, he’ll get a chance to take on some valued second-stringers for at least a few drives.
Sanders has had a rollercoaster journey since NFL Draft weekend, when he shockingly slipped all the way into the fifth round before the Browns ended his freefall at 144. Sanders has since been putting the work in, impressing coaches and teammates while saying all the right things in media sessions.
While he still has some maturing to do off the field (speeding tickets), Sanders’ NFL stock is trending up. If he can show up and show out against Carolina, Sanders just might give Browns coaches a very tough decision to make when it’s time to trim the roster down from 90 to 53 players.
After all, with a total of six quarterbacks (counting Deshaun Watson), someone will have to go, and it could be the rookie fifth-round pick. Yet, if Sanders can impress, there’s no way the Browns will risk trying to cut him and sneak Sanders back onto their practice squad where all teams will have a chance to sign him.
Related: Cleveland Browns Depth Chart Reveals Shedeur Sanders’ Place on Team
More must-reads:
