Shedeur Sanders doesn’t know what his role is on Sunday, but he does know his job: get Dillon Gabriel ready for the Steelers. After a stunt that backfired on him pretty spectacularly, the rookie handled himself very well in front of the cameras Thursday. Speaking to reporters, he discussed the Browns’ quarterback room and his place within it.
“I’m thankful that I’ve got an opportunity to come out and be able to practice each and every day with my teammates and everything”, Sanders said, via BrownsRoundtable’s YouTube channel. “We’re gonna do everything we can to make sure Dillon is ready for the game”.
The Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round in 2025 and then drafted Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round. Gabriel won the backup job behind starter Joe Flacco, with Sanders serving as the emergency quarterback.
Recently, however, the Browns demoted Flacco, naming Gabriel the starter. At the time, many wondered if Sanders would take over the backup role, but he did not. He remained the emergency quarterback, and reporters asked him about the entire quarterback situation. Evidently in response to criticism by Rex Ryan for talking too much, he mimed answers to reporters’ questions.
Perhaps attempting to be humorous, many saw Sanders’ behavior as immature, but he seems to have since learned. For those interested, he addressed this a bit toward the end of the interview linked above. In my opinion, he handled the whole situation well, and I give him credit for that. But he still, as he ought to, believes in his own abilities and his future.
“Each and every day, even when Joe was the starter, [I try to] prepare the right way and be ready to know that you can get out there at any point in time”, Sanders said. “I’m overly confident within myself. I knew when I first got here, I’m ready to play. But it’s up to the coaches and whatever decision they make, I’m fine with it”.
For what it’s worth, in context, Shedeur Sanders clearly misuses the word “overly”. He meant to convey something like “very”, and his above quote should be viewed in that light. And he also understands, after the Flacco trade, he is one step closer to the goal. “You tend to get a little bit more excited when you see a light at the end of the tunnel, for sure”, he said, adding, “Whatever my role is here, I’m thankful and happy just to do that”.
Shedeur Sanders has undergone a humbling process since the Browns and every other team passed on him for four rounds back in April. That should serve him for the better off the field, but the growth he needs to show the coaches is on it. Right now, his job is to support Dillon Gabriel, and he’s embracing that—even verbally this time.
