The Cleveland Browns are likely to keep four quarterbacks into the regular season. And, unfortunately for Shedeur Sanders’ fans, it seems clear who the fourth quarterback will be to start the season.
Sanders’ biggest depth chart battle was probably against fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted two rounds ahead of Sanders, a fifth-round pick. If anything, Gabriel probably moved closer to being the team’s second quarterback than moving down the depth chart. He had two strong preseason performances, including one on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams.
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Gabriel came in after starter Joe Flacco played a little more than a quarter and completed 12-of-19 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown in less than a quarter of work. Sanders started the second half. Kenny Pickett, who has been second on the depth chart, was not expected to play.
On a day around the NFL in which many teams rested their starters, the Browns wanted Flacco to get some preseason playing time before the regular season begins. Flacco got warm on Cleveland’s second drive. He completed all four of his passes and capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
Flacco played one more series, into the second quarter, and then his day was done. Flacco played 17 snaps with most of the starters. It might have been a costly tune-up; Browns starting center Ethan Pocic went down with a knee injury and was ruled out.
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Flacco playing cut into the snaps for the other three quarterbacks. Pickett, who dealt with a hamstring injury for much of training camp, did not play. He didn’t play at all this preseason. For the first time Gabriel and Sanders were both healthy for a preseason game, and Gabriel played ahead of Sanders. That’s not a big surprise; the Browns have had Sanders fourth on their depth chart since he was drafted and that hasn’t changed.
Gabriel came in early in the second quarter and played well, as he did in the Browns’ second preseason game. Sanders looked good in the preseason opener when Gabriel was out with a hamstring injury, putting some pressure on Gabriel to match or exceed that. Gabriel didn’t do anything to lose any ground to Sanders with his strong preseason performance.
Sanders came in to start the second half. He completed his first pass for 8 yards but that drive was a three-and-out.
The Browns plan to make the uncommon move of keeping four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The team has hinted that they would keep all four. Given that Sanders will likely start the season as QB4, it might be a while before he plays again, if he does at all this regular season.
