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The Cleveland Browns are facing a difficult situation as they head into the 2025 NFL season. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is sidelined once again as a result of the re-rupture of his Achilles tendon suffered in January. He will be out a significant portion of the upcoming season, if not the whole year.
As a result, head coach Kevin Stefanski's quarterback situation is still to be determined. Veteran Joe Flacco is listed as the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart even though he is 40 years old, and he will be backed up by Kenny Pickett along with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. The quarterback performances in offseason practices and training camp will largely determine the Browns' Week 1 starter.
Gabriel was drafted in the third round by the Browns, while Sanders suffered a precipitous fall and was not selected until the fifth round. While many had predicted he would be the second quarterback selected in the draft and would hear his name taken in the first round, it was a brutal comedown for the quarterback.
However, Sanders is no longer concerned with his draft status. He wants to go about his business with the Browns and make a contribution to the team.
“I don't even try to think about that day, because I got practice, you know?” Sanders said, per Coral Smith of NFL.com. “All that stuff was cool for that time, but now I've got practice, I've got to learn the playbooks.”
Sanders has excellent tools despite his draft slide
The former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback had a chance to show off his skills at Cleveland's rookie minicamp. While Gabriel was first up in 11 on 11 and 7 on 7 drills, Sanders got the call after Gabriel.
Sanders has good size at 6-2 and 212 pounds, but he is not as athletic as some of the top quarterbacks in the game. That was at least part of the reason for his slide in the draft. However, Sanders is an accurate passer who is able to survey the field. While he may hold on to the ball a bit too long for some scouts, he will find the open receiver.
Stefanski may be looking for Flacco to start the season because of his experience, but it may be difficult for an older quarterback to remain on the field for 18 weeks. Pickett has failed to impress with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. As a result, Gabriel and Sanders may have a chance to emerge as the season progresses.
