Last Updated on August 18, 2025 7:07 am by admin
Back at the 2025 NFL draft, the world watched on in shock as one of the most gifted passers in the nation saw his stock plummet. Shedeur Sanders, son of NFL legend Deion Sanders and owner of a stellar collegiate resume, was lit up by scouts and analysts as a consensus top-two quarterback alongside Cam Ward.
Ward was a lock to go high—and did, first overall to Tennessee. But as the rounds dragged on, Sanders’ name inexplicably went uncalled. Teams scrounged for flaws: competition level, system questions, off-field noise. It was a spectacle—a freefall from the green room’s bright lights to the shadow of obscurity, ultimately being snatched by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, 142nd overall.
Cleveland’s Packed QB Room
The former University of Colorado sensation could hardly have hand-picked a worse place to be drafted to. The Browns already had four quarterbacks on the roster, having drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round, which pushed Sanders down to fourth in the depth chart. He could fall even lower when Deshaun Watson returns from injury. Add to that the fact that the live betting providers consider Cleveland one of the worst teams in the league, and Sanders’ summer had been an unmitigated disaster.
The latest live betting odds at Bovada currently list the Browns as a mighty +30000 outsider for the Super Bowl this season, the joint longest odds of anybody. For Sanders, it’s a far cry from what he was expecting of his professional career after his college exploits. However, with opportunity unexpectedly knocking in his side’s preseason opener due to injuries, he has already set about the task of proving the doubters wrong.
Shedeur Sanders
In Cleveland’s opener, Sanders’ moment arrived. A legion of viewers tuned in for perhaps the most-watched preseason game in years as the Browns took on the Panthers, and the rookie didn’t blink. 14 completions in 23 attempts, 138 yards, two touchdowns, zero turnovers. Poise radiated from every snap; his progressions looked crisp, and his willingness to stand in and fire over the middle belied his rookie status.
More than the stats, though, it was his command and confidence that leapt off the screen. Rollouts extended plays, and with a flick of the wrist, Sanders rifled lasers to tight windows—one third-down dart on the run had even the Panthers’ secondary shaking their heads.
What does it mean for the Browns? This performance didn’t just upend depth chart projections; it injected electricity into a quarterback room once characterized by mediocrity. Only weeks ago, Sanders was a presumed afterthought, buried behind established names. Now, he’s at the heart of one of the NFL’s most intriguing position battles. Is it too early for Cleveland fans to believe that they have a franchise QB in their ranks after all?
Joe Flacco
Cleveland’s QB room had been void of experience until the arrival of Joe Flacco. The 38-year-old Super Bowl MVP and architect of the Browns’ hail-mary playoff drive two years ago is the backbone of this group. No current Browns quarterback has taken as many NFL snaps, and Flacco’s 43,996 career yards double as a security blanket for anxious coordinators.
When disaster struck in the winter of 2023, Flacco’s composure and knack for the game’s subtle complexities turned the Browns’ fortunes around. He’s not fast, but his releases are quick, his vision panoramic, his audibles elite.
Analyst breakdowns and locker room sentiment alike point to Flacco’s unique value as a stabilizer—trusted by coaches, leaned on by younger passers, and relied upon in high-leverage spots. If head coach Kevin Stefanski wants stability above all, Flacco is a safe pair of hands to pilot the offense as the season opens—offering a bridge to both the present and the future.
Kenny Pickett
High hopes, harsh realities: for Kenny Pickett, the book is far from written. The presumed starter before preseason, Pickett arrived with the reputation as a gutsy playmaker—but one still searching for rhythm at the NFL level. Three years, flashes of brilliance, but a dizzying mix of forced throws and missed timing left the narrative unresolved. His 2024 campaign was spent backing up Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, even taking the knee to close out the 40-22 drubbing of the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX.
Now, the 27-year-old enters the year with another test—recovering from an untimely injury while facing intensifying internal competition. His absence against Carolina didn’t just open the door for Sanders; it stoked debate about his long-term viability in this role. The pressure is rising, both behind him on the depth chart and in the stands; if Pickett falters, the leash could be startlingly short.
Dillon Gabriel
If the Browns excelled at anything this spring, it was keeping their quarterback options wide open. Dillon Gabriel arrived as a surprise pick, leapfrogging Sanders on draft day—a move questioned instantly by some insiders. Gabriel possesses a live arm and the willingness to push the ball downfield, but his adjustment to pro tempo is unknown.
Still, Gabriel brings promise as a developmental project. His raw tools keep him viable for the third slot, but unlike Sanders, he has yet to harness his talents into production against live NFL opposition. Coaches will be watching closely throughout camp to see if the gap between promise and polish can close—or if Sanders has already surpassed him, relegating Gabriel to the fringes of the rotation.