The Cleveland Browns' entire offseason has revolved around one story in particular: who will be their starter at quarterback? After taking two quarterbacks in the 2025 Draft and signing two quarterbacks in free agency, no one was certain who the team would start under center. However, a majority of the fans wanted rookie Shedeur Sanders to start.
After the Browns announced that veteran Joe Flacco will be starting Week 1, Sanders' fanbase was calling for the rookie to start. Former Browns left tackle Joe Thomas was not convinced that starting the rookie is the right move. While he acknowledged Sanders' strengths, Thomas implored the fans to recognize that the reason the quarterback isn't starting isn't due to some conspiracy, but rather the fact that he needs time to develop behind the scenes.
“There’s a lot of nuance in it, which the Shedeur Sanders cult doesn’t have,” Thomas said on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich. “They just believe that we’re morons for not being able to see that this guy is the greatest thing since sliced bread, the greatest quarterback since Tom Brady, and he’s ready right now to be able to elevate the franchise to their first Super Bowl of all time, and we’re the idiots for not seeing it. I think he has a higher ceiling. He’s a great playmaker, he has tremendous accuracy, he has that feel when he is in the game of how to make those big plays. But just because you have that ceiling that’s really high and that potential to be able to do that doesn’t mean you can do it right now.”
Sanders has accrued a massive fanbase from his time with the Colorado Buffaloes in college. During his career there, the quarterback developed a reputation of being an extremely accurate passer. Sanders was initially projected to be a high draft pick when he declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. However, he slid all the way to the fifth round to the Browns, presumably due to having poor interviews with teams.
Sanders played in the Browns' preseason games, sharing the backfield with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. In the three games, Sanders completed 17 of his 29 pass attempts for 152 yards and no interceptions. The Browns rookie had an excellent performance against the Panthers in Week 2 of the preseason, but struggled against the Rams in the final preseason game. He went 3-for-6, but he was sacked five times.
The Browns' current depth chart has Sanders listed as the QB3 behind Flacco (who will be starting) and Gabriel. Pickett was cut from the roster as part of the final roster cutdown.
