Sanders Named Friday’s Starter
August 7, 2025
Oh, boy. The Browns released their first official depth chart this week with Shedeur Sanders listed as the 4th option at quarterback. This news was met with outrage from many citing how Sanders is being placed in a position where he won’t succeed, that he won’t be gaining the valuable reps needed to improve…well, hold on. Just a day later, Sanders was announced as the preseason starter for Friday’s game against the Panthers.
It does seem like a move that makes sense for Cleveland to make, at least at this point in time, as many of their quarterbacks are dealing with injury and it doesn’t make sense to put Joe Flacco out there yet. Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel is nursing a hamstring injury and will be unable to go. Kenny Pickett who started off strong in camp is also now dealing with his own hamstring injuries. The Browns responded and did sign Tyler Huntley, however, he will seemingly take few meaningful snaps as he’s more of a camp arm at this point in time until their guys get back to healthy.
Sanders was the story of the 2025 NFL Draft as he slid all the way to the 5th round where Cleveland felt he was well worth the risk. Much of the slide could be attributed to his poor interviews, refusing to take part in drills at the combine and who can forget the unique setup he had on full display during the draft. Once the shock of how the draft played out wore off, Sanders seemingly flipped a switch. There has been plenty of video circulating on X (Twitter) of him on the field an hour early before practice and plenty of interviews where he’s saying the right things when he’s clearly being baited by the media to say something that will get him in trouble.
Love or hate the kid he will no doubt be must watch tv on Friday. He’ll go up against former first overall pick Bryce Young who is also slated to start for Carolina. Should he outplay Bryce or come up with a few flashy plays of his own, the heat on this QB competition might turn up a bit in Cleveland.
Keith, Author
Keith runs youth flag football leagues by day, and by night he hosts the podcast and writes articles with the confidence of a man who’s been rushing quarterbacks since dial-up. A longtime flag football DE and lifelong Falcons fan, he’s no stranger to heartbreak and enjoys watching the bears get slaughtered each week. Equal parts coach, critic, and chaos, Keith calls it like he sees it… even if it hurts.
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