Shedeur Sanders has had a mixed start to his time in Cleveland. While head coach Kevin Stefanski initially opened up the quarterback competition, his vague and non-committal stance didn’t do Sanders any favors. The Colorado alum saw limited reps early on, working mostly with the backups. However, that has changed recently: his workload has increased, and he’s now getting reps with the first team.
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Sanders has made the most of that opportunity. He’s reportedly putting up better numbers in training camp than both Tyler Gabriel and Joe Flacco. Despite that, the Browns still listed him fourth on their initial preseason depth chart.
Still, there’s a silver lining. That low depth chart ranking could mean Sanders sees significant playing time in the Browns’ upcoming preseason game against the Panthers, an opportunity to showcase his growth in a live-game setting.
According to a Cleveland Insider, Sanders has made noticeable strides. He’s taking more snaps from under center, especially during 11-on-11 team drills, and is steadily growing more comfortable in the offense. While there’s still plenty of room for improvement, his progress, particularly with his throws, has been encouraging. He’s also benefiting from support on both sides of the ball.
However, one recurring issue from his college days continues to linger. Sanders has never been known for his mobility, and he rarely looks to escape the pocket to extend plays. Instead, he tends to hang in the pocket and wait, sometimes too long. That habit led to a high number of sacks in college, some of which were due to a poor offensive line, but many were the result of slow decision-making.
That same problem is showing up in camp. According to the Insider, Sanders is still holding onto the ball a bit too long, even in practice. But there’s good news: going up against the Browns’ fierce defense, led by Myles Garrett, is forcing him to improve.
Cleveland’s defense has been the team’s backbone in recent years, and in training, they’ve been relentlessly pressuring Sanders. That intensity is helping accelerate his development and teaching him, fast, that the NFL won’t wait around.
” I just think that ultimately, he is holding onto the football just a tick too long, and I think that something that will naturally improve as he gets used to the speed of the NFL game. The Browns’ defensive line was as advertised. They weren’t giving the QBs much time to throw, and they were in the backfield in a hurry. I think that’s good for him and that will help him speed up his close as he faces other teams.”
Even if Shedeur Sanders performs well in the preseason, it’s unlikely he’ll unseat Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback, at least not to begin the season. However, he has a realistic shot at locking down the backup role. And in the NFL, opportunities often come when you least expect them. If Flacco falters or struggles to stay consistent over the course of 17 games, the Colorado Alum could be called upon to step in and seize his moment under the spotlight.
