The Cleveland Browns are running out of time to turn their season around. Sitting at 2-6 and desperate for stability under center, the team is making a notable adjustment heading into Week 10 against the New York Jets. Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has officially been cleared to play and will serve as the backup QB on Sunday.
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Reporter Emmanuel Oyefusi confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter), noting that “Shedeur Sanders does not have a game status and will be the backup QB on Sunday after being inactive in Week 8 with a back injury.” Sanders’ return marks an important step forward for the rookie, who had been sidelined during Cleveland’s 32-13 loss to the New England Patriots before the bye week. However, fans and analysts continue to question why Shedeur is not being given the chance to be QB1 for Cleveland.
Analyst Connor Rogers did not mince words when addressing Cleveland’s current quarterback situation. On 92.3 The Fan, Rogers said the Browns are “wasting time” by not giving Shedeur Sanders a real opportunity, arguing that the team’s developmental strategy makes little sense.
“It feels like if you’re the Browns right now, you need to get a look at everything you possibly can because you’re going into a draft where you might have to make another quarterback decision,” Rogers said. “I wouldn’t want to go into that draft saying, ‘Well, I never even got a look at Shedeur.’ Then why’d you even draft him, right?”
The rookie, drafted 144th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, has yet to make his regular-season debut but impressed during training camp, consistently taking second-team reps before his injury.
Furthermore, Rogers directly called out Dillon Gabriel’s inconsistent play, questioning Stefanski’s continued commitment to the 24-year-old starter.
“I watch their offense as much as I can with Dillon Gabriel. You just can’t live in the NFL that way, man. It’s a very hard way to play football.”
In four starts, Gabriel has completed 59.9% of his passes for 702 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions, figures nearly identical to what Joe Flacco produced earlier in the season. More concerning, Gabriel has yet to throw for 250 yards in a game, with his season-high of 221 yards underscoring the unit’s offensive stagnation.
Even after a two-interception outing against New England, Stefanski reaffirmed that Gabriel will remain the starter in Week 10. According to PFSN’s QB Impact metric, Gabriel holds a QB Impact Score of 52.3, ranking 37th in the NFL and earning an overall “F” grade for his performance. One’s gotta ask, how much worse could Shedeur be?
Clearly frustrated, Rogers criticized how NFL teams, including Cleveland, mismanage their young talent:
“It just blows my mind. Billion-dollar organizations with massive staff don’t have the right plan for these guys or put them in square peg, round hole situations. The Shedeur case just feels like a waste of everyone’s time.”
Given the Browns’ offensive inconsistency and lack of long-term clarity at quarterback, Sanders’ return represents both insurance and opportunity. If Gabriel continues to struggle, Stefanski could be pressured to give Sanders his first real shot, one that Rogers and many around the league believe is long overdue.
