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If Dillon Gabriel or Kenny Pickett can’t suit up for the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, Shedeur Sanders will reportedly get another chance to make his case to be their starter this weekend.
Sanders turned many heads around the NFL when he had a very good showing in his NFL preseason debut against the Panthers. In just over two quarters of action, the former Colorado star hit on 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and posted a 106.8 passer rating. It gave his supporters ammunition in their belief that he needs more opportunities.
Related: Grading Shedeur Sanders’ Browns Debut – The Good, the Bad and the Great
Well, he could get a lot of that in their second preseason game this Saturday against the Eagles. On Wednesday, head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that if fellow QBs Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett can’t bounce back from recent injuries and take the field this week, Sanders will again get the start in their next preaseason game.
The #Browns will start Shedeur Sanders again vs. the Eagles on Saturday if Dillon Gabriel (hamstring) and Kenny Pickett (hamstring) both remain out, per HC Kevin Stefanski. pic.twitter.com/CiGvdHoYx5
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 13, 2025
Both signal callers are dealing with hamstring injuries and haven’t practiced much in August. The pair being sidelined, and the Browns preferring to keep greybeard QB Joe Flacco in bubble wrap, is why Sanders received the start. And the bulk of the playing time in Cleveland’s preseason opener last week. And based on Stefanski’s comments, the 40-year-old is likely to sit out again this week.
Heading into their game against the Panthers, Sanders was surprisingly fourth on the QB depth chart. That did not change following a strong showing in his preseason debut. He will get stiffer competition against the Super Bowl champions on Saturday. So, less impressive stats are likely.
However, if Shedeur Sanders can produce another good game, a whole bunch of fuel will be added to the speculation that he deserves consideration to be their QB1 in Week 1 of the regular season.
Related: Cleveland Browns Expert Predicts Starting QB After Big Shedeur Sanders Debut
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