Ever since the Cleveland Browns announced that Shedeur Sanders will start the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, fans have been going ballistic. Stephen A. Smith, along with several others, believes he’s being set up to fail because he hasn’t been practicing with the starters. Suddenly, he’s being tossed into the pool, and it’s now sink or swim.
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This narrative has only grown louder as the game rapidly approaches on Friday night. But Dan Orlovsky doesn’t think it’s a fair argument to push. In fact, he doesn’t see any other course of action the Browns could’ve taken.
That’s why the QB-turned-analyst took to his Twitter with a minute-long monologue to set the record straight.
“Will everyone stop with the ‘Shedeur Sanders is being set up to fail’ narrative? Who do you want to start the game?” Orlovsky asked.
It’s a good question to ask. Orlovsky then expanded and went through the depth chart, explaining why each player besides Shedeur isn’t fit to start on Friday.
“It’s preseason, Week 1. First option, Joe Flacco- he’s played for like 20 years, he’s not going to start preseason Week 1. The next two options would be a Kenny Pickett or a Dillon Gabriel, both are dealing with hamstring injuries,” Orlovsky said.
Flacco was indeed never going to start this early in the preseason. At 40 years old, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Browns held him out as long as possible and gave him limited work in the final week before the regular season.
Can this narrative stop? pic.twitter.com/0XwLyuDOnb
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) August 7, 2025
As for Pickett and Gabriel, there’s absolutely no reason to push them to play through the injuries. That leaves Shedeur as the clear-cut starter. So, Orlovsky asked the question again.
“Who do you want to start the game? The next two options are Shedeur and Snoop Huntley. Shedeur’s been there, Snoop Huntley just got there. So, while Shedeur may not have had reps with the ones, what else do you want them to do in Cleveland?”
It’s a fair argument that Orlovsky has. He went on to explain that this is a good opportunity for Shedeur and that it may not be ideal … but very rarely are situations ideal for 5th-round picks. Now, he has the chance to prove all the hype from minicamp is justified.
Shedeur is most likely not being set up to fail, and this is just how the cookie crumbled this time around. However, it would’ve been smart to at least get him a few full practices with the first team ahead of the preseason game. Reports say that despite the news of him starting, he hasn’t taken any reps with the starters, which doesn’t make a ton of sense.
