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The Cleveland Browns are working through a four-way quarterback competition to determine who will start the regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. While most signs point to Joe Flacco winning the job, Shedeur Sanders will get the first crack at it. The Browns announced that Sanders will start the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday.
And Sanders made waves in his professional debut before ever stepping on the field. The first-year passer arrived with an entourage prior to the game. Sanders’ entrance was reportedly accompanied by “his own unreleased music,” per Rookie Watch.
Sheduer Sanders is currently going VIRAL for arriving with an entourage at his NFL debut.
Sanders reportedly arrived “playing his own unreleased music” as he and his teammates made their way to the locker room.
The Browns rookie QB is JUST like his father pic.twitter.com/tu15L30tJq
— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) August 8, 2025
While Sanders drew the start against Carolina, the Browns noted that injuries played a role. Kenny Pickett and Dillion Gabriel are sidelined with hamstring ailments and Cleveland isn’t playing Flacco Thursday.
That leaves Sanders as the team’s QB1 against the Panthers. Newly signed veteran Tyler Huntley is also expected to get some snaps in the Browns’ preseason opener.
The decision to start Sanders came as a surprise after the team’s first unofficial depth chart listed the rookie as the QB4. Stephen A. Smith declared that Sanders was being set up to fail by the Browns.
“He’s fourth on the depth chart and then suddenly you throw him into the starting lineup, and he hasn’t had any reps with the first team at all,” Smith said. “Think about that. So you’re just gonna throw him to the wolves like that?”
The Browns revamped their quarterback room over the offseason. The team landed Kenny Pickett in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles and signed Joe Flacco to a one-year deal. Cleveland then added additional passers in the 2025 draft. The Browns took Dillon Gabriel in the third round before stopping Sanders’ slide in Round 5.
While much has been made of the team’s decision to start Sanders in the preseason opener, it’s an opportunity for the young quarterback to impress. It’s often not easy to move up the depth chart when you’re buried beneath three other passers. But Sanders will get a shot to show the Browns what he’s capable of with all eyes on him.
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