Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has offered minimal transparency on how the team is handling Shedeur Sanders’ offseason. On Wednesday, he wouldn’t elaborate on who would start during the team’s second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles this Saturday.
“Yeah, I guess if those guys could not play, yes, and we’re working through that,” Stefanski said when asked if Sanders would start if Gabriel and Kenny Pickett aren’t healthy enough to suit up.
“We were always going to play our young guys a lot in these games, so we’ll see how it shakes out here over the next couple of days.
“Again, the plan was always to give one or both of those guys start in the preseason, so we’ll see how it shakes out.”
Per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Sanders didn’t take any reps in the first 7/7 period or first 11/11 period against the Eagles. Cabot and her colleagues predicted that after Sanders’ preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers.
“The upcoming joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles could prove pivotal for Sanders’ trajectory. While it’s unlikely he’ll receive significant first-team reps against the defending Super Bowl champions, continued strong performances could accelerate his timeline,” the Orange and Brown Talk podcast crew relayed.
“For now, Sanders has done exactly what a developmental quarterback should: he’s taken advantage of every opportunity given to him. The question is no longer if he’ll move up the depth chart, but when.”
Sanders’ ascension seems stunted at this point. He got a chance to play during the preseason, but Joe Flacco is still the likely starter, and Gabriel and Pickett appear to have preference over the “Grown QB” from the coaching staff.