Cleveland Browns’ QB chart currently reads like a Black Friday checkout line: Deshaun Watson (recovering from an Achilles injury), Joe Flacco (the elder statesman), Kenny Pickett (the former Steelers hopeful), Dillon Gabriel (the journeyman, overaged college football star) and Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders’ son and Colorado Buffaloes’ superstar quarterback.
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It’s so packed that one fan joked to Deion Sanders Jr. on “X”: “Quick question @DeionSandersJr: How do you think it plays out [for Shedeur Sanders] given the Browns have more QBs than the Cheesecake Factory has waiters?”
But interestingly, the Well Off Media founder didn’t hype up his brother or take the bait. Instead, he delivered a mature and cool response by diplomatically evading the subject.
“I’m nobody to even have an opinion on the situation. Whatever the Browns think is the best will be the best,” penned Deion Jr.
I’m nobody to even have an opinion of the situation. Whatever the browns think is the best will be the best
— Deion Sanders Jr (@DeionSandersJr) April 28, 2025
No drama. No shade. Just a mature, realistic response that showed the Sanders camp understands what Shedeur is walking into — a no-handouts, prove-it-on-the-field situation.
But if you ask former Panthers legend Luke Kuechly, Shedeur absolutely has a real shot to climb that crowded depth chart. Appearing on a recent edition of “Up & Adams” with Kay Adams, Kuechly broke down the Browns’ QB room, backing up Joe Flacco to be the QB1 at the start of the season.
“If you were to say right now, the quarterback that those guys have the most confidence in, I bet it’s Flacco. He’s been there, he’s done it,” Kuechly started.
“Do I think they want him to be the starter? Probably not. I think they’d love it to be one of those other guys,” he continued. “It looks like Deshaun [Watson] probably won’t start the season (either).” So, what will it take for Shedeur to clinch the starting gig?
According to Kuechly, Shedeur’s prospects as the Browns’ QB1 depend entirely on how quickly he can overcome the mental and emotional trauma from Draft week and use it as fuel to climb the depth chart.
“You thought you were going to go a lot higher in the draft than you did. You thought maybe you’d be in the top ten, the top five. Certainly not falling to the fifth round,” Kuechly said. “Now you get to go and be in a situation where, as a competitor, this is where you should stand up and really thrive.”
Simply put, the former NFL LB believes that despite the noise and crowd, the opportunity is there at Cleveland if Shedeur Sanders wants it bad enough.
“He’s going to learn a lot about himself going into OTAs and training camp,” Kuechly added. “And I absolutely think that he’s got an opportunity to be a starter at some point this season, just based on what’s in that room and what they want to get accomplished.”
Shedeur Sanders starting for the Browns in week 1?
According to Luke Kuechly, now is the time for Shedeur to thrive after being counted out. @heykayadams | @LukeKuechly pic.twitter.com/PFGa57VUvo
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 28, 2025
So while it’s true Sanders will have to outshine some seasoned veterans and other hungry young guns, it’s equally true that the Browns didn’t draft him just for depth. With the right mindset and clearly a grounded family behind him, Shedeur has all the tools to prove that being a fifth-round pick is just part of the origin story.
The real work starts now. And nobody, not even a quarterback room this crowded, can keep the door closed forever.