The Cleveland Browns are officially turning the keys over to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel, a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has been promoted to starter over veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, who was drafted in the fifth round after a surprising slide.
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Flacco, who started the first four games, was benched following the team’s 1-3 start. The 40-year-old Super Bowl XLVII MVP will remain the backup for Sunday’s international game against the Minnesota Vikings in London. Sanders, meanwhile, has yet to play a regular-season snap and remains Cleveland’s third-string quarterback.
Following this update, a video circulated this week that appeared to show Shedeur Sanders angrily requesting a trade after being passed over for the starting job. The clip contained inflammatory quotes about Cleveland, head coach Kevin Stefanski, and even the city itself, including a line about “streetlights not working at night.”
However, this “statement” is AI-generated satire, not something Sanders ever said. The over-the-top nature of the language, including references to LeBron James and a refusal to travel to London, makes it clear that the content is fabricated.
In reality, Sanders has taken an unusual approach with the media. When asked Wednesday about being listed as QB3, Sanders mouthed his answers silently instead of speaking. Reporters repeatedly pressed him to vocalize his thoughts, but Sanders responded with smiles, shrugs, and more silent answers.
Last week, he shared more openly in an interview with ESPN Cleveland, saying:
“If you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that. I don’t think playing or not playing is in my hands… I’ll be ready to play. I’m ready to play right now.”
The Browns held a four-man quarterback competition in the preseason, but Sanders’ progress was slowed by an oblique injury that forced him to miss the second exhibition game. In the finale, he struggled, while Gabriel thrived — a performance that may have cemented the rookie’s rise up the depth chart.
Gabriel also got brief regular-season work in Weeks 2 and 4, throwing his first touchdown pass against Baltimore and showing enough poise in garbage time to earn a promotion.
Verdict: No, Shedeur Sanders did not request a trade. The “quote” spreading online is an AI-generated parody. Sanders remains with the Browns, albeit as the third-string behind quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Joe Flacco.
