“I’ll let the week play out and make a decision later,” Kevin Stefanski said on Wednesday when he was asked whether Shedeur Sanders is now the No. 2 QB. The Cleveland Browns, who are without Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, earlier named Dillon Gabriel as the starting QB for Sunday’s game against the Steelers.
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Naturally, a fan would argue that Shedeur, who was the No. 3 QB on the roster, would now become the No. 2 QB. But according to Stefanski, it is not yet decided, as he needs time to make a final decision. As per reports, he would like to assess Bailey Zappe and Shedeur ahead of the Dolphins’ game on October 19.
However, Zappe’s last three starts are discouraging, with a 50.6% completion rate, 155.7 yards per game, seven interceptions, and a 36.9 passer rating. In comparison, Shedeur did quite well in the first two preseason games before his injury.
As a result, veteran analyst Skip Bayless, who has always backed Shedeur since he fell to the sixth round (144th pick) in the 2025 NFL Draft, had some harsh words for the Browns’ head coach while responding to his comments from the presser.
“You know, I am not objective about this. This was hitting bottom yesterday. This is all-time shameful on the part of Kevin Stefanski. This was Kevin Stefanski pretty much declaring a public war on Shedeur — at least a cold war on Shedeur — because he won’t even speak Shedeur’s name in those interview sessions,” Skip said on the daily podcast, The Arena.
Ever since Shedeur lost the QB2 spot to Gabriel (when Flacco was present), the former Colorado star gave up his Wednesday off-days to train harder. Additionally, he stopped his own podcast, The Legendary Podcast, reportedly one of the reasons GMs and HCs seemingly overlooked him in the draft, as they wanted the team to have more privacy.
However, Stefanski doesn’t seem to align with any of the changes, believes Skip. He highlighted the Bill Parcells–Terrell Owens fallout to explain why he thinks Shedeur is being disrespected by the Browns HC.
“It’s like Parcells when T.O. was there. He wouldn’t even call his name; he just called him ‘the player.’ Remember that?” Skip asked. He went on to question why Shedeur is not the No. 2 QB. “Every time he’s asked about Shedeur, he plays dodgeball with a bunch of non-answers. And Flacco’s now gone, Kenny Pickett is now gone. Just acknowledge that Shedeur moved up a spot,” Skip argued.
Amid all the debate, Shedeur admitted that he is “working with” Dillon Gabriel to ensure a positive locker room environment. After all, the Browns (1-4), who are fourth in the AFC North, require at least six more wins. Especially for Stefanski to save his job after back-to-back disappointing seasons.
