The Cleveland Browns are promoting rookie fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders to backup quarterback for Sunday’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After not discussing the QB2 situation on Tuesday following the surprising trade of Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns are leaning on Sanders to handle the role.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski informed reporters Friday of his decision to put Sanders in the QB2 role, according to a tweet from ESPN Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi.
“Yeah, Shedeur will be the backup,” Stefanski told reporters Friday, according to video via the Browns’ X account.
Stefanski stated he was surprised by the Flacco trade and that he didn’t have a firm plan at QB2 early in the week. Sanders was the logical one to elevate, especially with veteran Bailey Zappe on the practice squad. But, earlier in the week Stefanski wasn’t ready to commit one way or the other, saying he wanted to see how things progressed during the week.
Turns out, things progressed well enough with Sanders for him to be the QB2 on the road against the Steelers.
He’ll back up fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was a third-round pick out of Oregon in the same draft class. Gabriel made his first NFL start last week in London against the Minnesota Vikings and threw two touchdown passes, avoiding any of the killer mistakes a young quarterback tends to make.
Now he’ll have a huge test on the road against the Steelers in his first taste of AFC North action. That Sanders is now one snap away from getting onto the field in an NFL game is big, considering all the hype and attention surrounding him.
He hasn’t really handled the attention all that well, like him miming answers a week ago about being QB3 even after Flacco’s benching. But now, after putting in some strong work behind the scenes that Stefanski praised earlier in the week, he has moved up the depth chart and is one step closer to getting onto the field in the NFL.
