PHILADELPHIA — The Cleveland Browns took a trip to the City of Brotherly Love, set for two joint practices ahead of Saturday's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but in their first session, they saw a prominent player sidelined as quarterback Shedeur Sanders sustained an oblique injury early in practice.
Sanders sustained the injury while throwing in the first portion of practice. As the reps in team drills were divided between Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and, in a limited capacity, Kenny Pickett, Sanders didn't take any more reps.
After practice ended, the Browns announced Sanders had sustained an oblique injury and had been held out for the remainder of the session.
Sanders had previously been held out of team drills with a minor injury, missing one session in Berea with arm soreness. He was back the next day.
It's not clear the severity of the oblique injury, and although right now it doesn't seem to be a major concern, it's another situation for the Browns to monitor ahead of the second joint practice against the Eagles on Thursday and, of course, the second preseason game against them on Saturday.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski has yet to announce the plan for Saturday's preseason game in terms of who will get the start at quarterback. Sanders started in the first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers and helped lead the team to a 30-10 win after an impressive NFL debut. Sanders played most of the game, passing the baton to recently added quarterback Tyler "Snoop" Huntley for the last quarter.
In his NFL debut, Sanders was 14-for-23, throwing 138 yards and two touchdowns.
He had gotten the brunt of the workload with fellow rookie Gabriel dealing with a hamstring injury, as was veteran Pickett. Flacco is expected to be held out until the third preseason game, when the majority of starters get in some work.
Sanders' oblique adds to the collective ailments facing the Browns' quarterback room—one of the reasons Huntley was brought in to camp. Gabriel had been held out of team drills with his hamstring injury, returning to 11-on-11 work Monday in Berea and continuing that in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Pickett has remained out of 11-on-11s but did work in 7-on-7s in Berea and in Philadelphia this week.
Stefanski spoke before practice and wasn't available to comment on the injury following the session, but he'll hold another media availability on Thursday, where he will be asked for an update on Sanders.
