Dawgs By Nature
Did the Cleveland Browns find their quarterback of the future in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft? If you follow the hyperbole on social media after the Browns preseason victory over the Carolina Panthers, Shedeur Sanders put himself in a position to be the answer to the team’s decade-long problem at the most important position in football.
Tracking every pass and decision made by Sanders allowed us to take each play as it came as well as get an overall feel for the former Colorado Buffaloes QB. Leading Cleveland to three touchdown drives, not turning the ball over and making some impressive throws in and out of structure are all important for Sanders to show on Friday night.
As it always does in professional sports, the conversation quickly turned to what is next for Sanders and the Browns quarterback competition. The likely answer: Very little changed due to Friday’s performance.
No one has ever been ruined by slowing down the process and making sure the player is ready. In many ways, Cleveland has put itself in a position to have all the options at quarterback:
The best thing for the Browns would be Gabriel or Sanders, at some point, proving that they are able to play at a high level as rookies. With a 17-game season, that doesn’t have to happen during training camp, especially with Flacco and Pickett on the roster.
We know, especially after the preseason opener, that none of the other three quarterbacks really matter in the minds of Cleveland fans or the national media. It is all about Shedeur Sanders. That doesn’t mean the Browns need to agree with that narrative. Sanders was far from perfect on Friday night, played against mostly backups for the majority of the snaps and didn’t face a lot of pressure (when he did, is when he struggled the most).
The team’s goal should be simple: Play the quarterback that gives them the best chance to win (and that won’t lose them games) right away and don’t play Sanders or Gabriel until they are more than certainly ready (and maybe a game or three after that).
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be excited about what the young QB showed last night. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel was so pumped about Sanders’ performance that he did a film breakdown of his first half while the game was going on last night:
Full disclosure, I was very high on Sanders coming out. I was very excited to get to watch him Friday night:
I believed he was going to do well, and he did. I believe Sanders has a chance to be a more accurate but weaker-armed...
