Cleveland Browns Face QB Roster Headache as Shedeur Sanders Shines in His Preseason Debut

It’s not often that an NFL team has five quarterbacks genuinely competing for a roster spot. But that’s the case for the Cleveland Browns in 2025. And if you thought Shedeur Sanders was going to play himself off the team on Friday night, think again.

Sanders played well in Cleveland’s preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. He completed 61.1% of his passes (11/18) for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Both scoring tosses went to wide receiver Kaden Davis. The performance helped the Browns take a 14-7 lead into halftime.

Sanders finished the first half with a 113.9 passer rating. His final stat line — 14/23 (60.8%), 138 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions — translates to a 106.8 passer rating.

Beyond the touchdown passes, his biggest highlight was a 3rd-and-9 conversion where he stood in the pocket and delivered a strike to wideout Gage Larvadain for a gain of 19 yards.

downfield dart #CLEvsCAR on NFLN, @WEWS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/IEHtRfilip

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 9, 2025

Sanders’ opportunity came at the expense of Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, who were both held out of the contest due to injury. He was slotted fourth on Cleveland’s initial depth chart. His showing in Carolina won’t vault him past Joe Flacco for the top spot, but he could find himself above Pickett and Gabriel after the Browns’ coaches review the game tape.

Cleveland faces good QB problem after Shedeur Sanders’ strong night

Head coach Kevin Stefanski has taken Cleveland to the playoffs twice in his five-year tenure with the franchise. He has essentially operated with scraps at the quarterback — Flacco’s 2023 stint withstanding — for the past three seasons. If he could get consistency at the position, the Browns could be consistent playoff contenders, even in the AFC North.

Flacco is 40 years old. It’s possible he could recapture his 2023 form this year, but he’s not a long-term solution for anyone. Pickett almost assuredly isn’t the answer. Gabriel got drafted before Sanders, but approximately zero analysts gave him a better prospect grade than Sanders. That leaves Sanders as the passer with the most long-term upside of any Browns quarterback.

In what’s expected to be a lost year, it’d be wise for Stefanski and Co. to see what Sanders can provide at some point in 2025. If he plays poorly, you can draft a new quarterback next season. If he plays well, you can build around him like the San Francisco 49ers did with Brock Purdy. Either way, after tonight’s outing, there’s no reason for Sanders to be on the chopping block.