The Cleveland Browns were finally able to pick up their second win of the 2025 regular season with a Week 7 triumph over an imploding Miami Dolphins squad. Typically, that would be cause for celebration for a franchise that has only won five games in two seasons, but instead, all we’re seeing in Cleveland right now is more questions and concerns.
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The team’s latest starting QB, Dillon Gabriel, managed to somehow put together one of the least-impressive 72% pass completion performances in recent memory. The Oregon product completed just 13 of 18 passes on the day, and while he did manage to avoid turning the ball over, he only produced 128 total scrimmage yards for the Browns.
According to the franchise’s former cornerback in Joe Haden, however, it’s still too soon to call upon Shedeur Sanders. “I think that he is an NFL quarterback… He makes very smart decisions,” Haden noted during a recent appearance on the 92.3 The Fan Cleveland radio show.
“I just think that there’s some plays where he needs to be throwing the ball on time… I understand that you’re not turning the ball over, but there’s situations where you’re not helping the team, you’re not helping us. I think he’s performed good, but I think giving him a couple more games is also good.”
While that’s certainly encouraging to hear for Gabriel, having a franchise legend suggest that he receive an extended trial period is likely the last thing that Shedeur Sanders wants to hear right now. Ever since he first began his unprecedented slide in the 2025 NFL Draft, both Sanders and his avid fan base have been waiting to receive a fair shake.
He was somewhat able to outperform the field during the Browns’ off-season QB competition, but Sanders was still placed at the bottom of the depth chart. And even now that both Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett were shipped off to better homes, he still seems to be nowhere closer to seeing reps as a starter.
Kevin Stefanski, as well as various personnel throughout the organization, which includes ownership, have made it relatively clear that they have no interest in Sanders being the solution to their quarterback struggles. In fact, Jimmy Haslam even went as far as to state, on record, that his general manager, Andrew Berry, effectively went rogue when he decided to draft Sanders in the first place.
Suffice to say, it’s an unfortunate situation for the former Colorado Buffalo, but he still has an opportunity in front of him. It’s not ideal, and nothing is guaranteed, but it’s an opportunity nonetheless.
At this point in time, Sanders’ philosophy should simply be “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,” because even though no one may know when his time is going to come, it does seem as if Gabriel will eventually falter enough for it to come all the same.
