Every player who enters the NFL has to pay their dues and earn opportunities before gaining recognition. But for some, the road is even tougher, especially for those who weren’t early draft picks. Shedeur Sanders finds himself in that position, and life hasn’t been easy in Cleveland. With fierce competition at quarterback on the Browns’ roster, the Colorado alum finds himself buried on the depth chart, struggling to get meaningful reps as he fights for a spot on the team.
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The Browns currently have four quarterbacks on their roster, but that won’t last when they trim it down to the 53-man limit. At the moment, veteran Joe Flacco appears to be the likely starter. The battle for the backup role, however, remains wide open, with Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders all vying for the spot.
Sanders recently sat down with former Browns quarterback and Hall of Famer Bernie Kosar for a candid conversation about his journey so far in Cleveland. During the chat, Shedeur admitted that getting reps has been a challenge—a stark contrast to his college days at Colorado, where he was the unquestioned starter for two straight years, and his play consistently reflected that role.
Despite the adversity, he’s handling everything with maturity and perspective. For Shedeur, it’s about taking it one day at a time, putting in the effort, trusting the process, and staying true to himself. As he put it, embracing life and its challenges isn’t difficult when your intentions are genuine and your work ethic is strong.
“I’ll definitely say you just got to find the good in things. So every day is a consistent journey. It’s a consistent battle, but I feel like I’m handling everything the way I’m supposed to. Just being a normal human. I don’t think anything is hard when it comes to that. You know, you feel like just something I internally just feel like doing. At this point in life, I don’t think I would fake anything because there is no need. Everything is just genuinely how I am.”
There’s virtually no chance that Shedeur Sanders starts the season as QB1. Right now, he’s buried deep on the depth chart and getting minimal reps in training camp. Given how limited his opportunities have been, there’s a strong possibility the Browns cut him before the season begins.
That said, his camp performances have reportedly been impressive, which could be enough for the front office to keep him around, at least on the practice squad or as a developmental prospect.
If Shedeur does stick with the team, he’ll likely have to fight tooth and nail next year just to move up the ladder, especially against someone like Dillon Gabriel, who’s also vying for a long-term role.
But the bigger issue here is the franchise itself. The Browns have been a model of dysfunction for over two decades, cycling through 35 quarterbacks since 2000. Recent comments from team owner Jimmy Haslam didn’t help the situation either—he openly admitted he wasn’t in favor of drafting Shedeur, suggesting it was GM Andrew Berry’s decision. That kind of fractured leadership only adds to the perception that Cleveland remains a chaotic and poorly run organization.
Given all this, Shedeur Sanders might be better off moving on from what many see as a football circus. A fresh start in a more stable environment could give him a better shot at developing into the quarterback he wants to be.
