CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have been working through plans for their preseason rotation at quarterback amid a slew of injuries, even bringing back Tyler Huntley to the room to aid in the need for camp and preseason arms. That plan, as it stands, will see rookie Shedeur Sanders get the first crack at game action as Cleveland takes on the Carolina Panthers in their first preseason game.
Sanders, who the Browns selected in the fifth round of this year's draft, will take the field for the Browns' first reps inside Bank of America Stadium, expected to start, according to a league source. Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot was the first to report.
Who will be playing alongside him will be determined in the coming days, as head coach Kevin Stefanski said that some guys will be held out.
“I’d say we’re working through it. We’ll hold some guys out of the game, but we’re looking forward to the game. That’s the fun part for our players to get down there and compete against the Panthers on Wednesday, compete against them Friday night, but we will hold some guys out," Stefanski said on Monday before practice.
Sanders and veteran Joe Flacco took the majority of reps during Monday's practice, with rookie Dillon Gabriel limited with hamstring tightness and veteran Kenny Pickett still working through a hamstring injury that has sidelined him in recent practice sessions.
While Sanders has gotten reps in, he's never worked with the first team offense. He had one 11-on-11 session where he worked against the first-team defense, but in it, he was working with the second-team offense. With the plan to hold guys out and based on how the Browns have operated in the past with their preseason plans, Sanders is likely to continue a similar team on Friday.
The rookie quarterback said before Monday's practice that who he's working with doesn't impact him or his job.
"I view it as, the defense does a great job of mixing players in. So 'backers, you got rookies out there. Sometimes DBs, you got different guys out there. So it is not mentally, I go out there, I'm like, oh, these are the ones. I'm going to get nervous. It don't got anything to do with that. And truthfully, I don't care what O-line I go out there with. It could be ones, twos, threes, whatever the situation is. And I know Friday when the game is, if I'm with twos, if I'm with threes. It don't matter to me. I'm just ready to get down and get to doing what I could," Sanders said.
For Sanders, the opportunity is one that he said he plans to take full advantage of, like he will the joint practice reps against the Panthers that will start on Wednesday, leading up to the game.
"I think every rep I get in general is valuable. We definitely take things up a notch, I would say with everything. So every rep, anytime I step on the field, I take it like it could be my last because you don't know. There's players that we was just practicing with last week that's not here no more. So like I said, it is more about a bond. It's more about going all out. It's more about how you'll be remembered," Sanders said.
As Gabriel and Pickett nurse hamstring injuries, Sanders is likely to get significant playtime on Friday. Joe Flacco, listed on the unofficial depth chart as the QB1, is expected to be among the starters and veterans held out, and Huntley will only have two joint practice sessions to get up to speed, making it unlikely he takes many, if any, snaps on Friday.
With all eyes on Sanders and the Browns in their 2025 debut, you can watch every snap of the preseason game right here on News 5.
A familiar face will also be in the booth as Joe Thomas returns as color commentator.
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