Cleveland Browns' Kevin Stefanski Reveals Full Plan For Shedeur Sanders' Preseason Start

News broke Tuesday that coach Kevin Stefanski will give rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders the starting nod in the Cleveland Browns' preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Friday.

Sanders, who spent his final two college seasons with the Colorado Buffaloes, has recovered from an "arm soreness" issue that kept him out of a weekend practice and is now preparing for a massive opportunity to make ground in Cleveland's crowded quarterback room. Third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett are both dealing with hamstring injuries, and 40-year-old Joe Flacco won't play Friday.

Before the Browns' joint practice with the Panthers on Wednesday, Stefanski confirmed that only Sanders and recent free agent signee Tyler "Snoop" Huntley will see snaps under center in Charlotte.

Kevin Stefanski Reveals Plan For Shedeur Sanders, Tyler Huntley

Cleveland Browns Kevin Stefanski Plan Shedeur Sanders Preseason Start Carolina Panthers NFL Tyler Huntley Quarterback Gabriel — Jul 26, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

"We'll rest some starters, some players will play. Obviously, we're holding out some guys due to injury," Stefanski said, per the Browns. "We'll play Shedeur at quarterback. We just signed Snoop Huntley, as you guys saw. We'll get Snoop back up to speed quickly. He's been in a couple of different offenses since we last saw him, so he's doing a great job of working at it. It's a great opportunity for all of our young players in that football game."

With Huntley navigating his first week with the Browns since last preseason, Sanders will see significant playing time against the Panthers. It's essentially sink or swim for Sanders, a recent fifth-round draft pick who hasn't seen any reps with Cleveland's first-team offense.

"He's excited," Stefanski said of Sanders. "He knew he was going to play a good bit in these preseason games. The competitor in him is very excited."

Expectations For Shedeur Sanders

Despite his lack of first-team reps, Sanders will be thrown into the fire on Friday to operate what should be a vanilla offensive game plan.

"My expectations for Shedeur are no different than the rest of the guys, honestly," Stefanski said. "We expect him to go operate. When you get into these preseason games, you try and keep it very simple so guys can play fast. All concepts that our players know and not think too much and just play ball."

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Shedeur Sanders Maximizing Every Opportunity

Earlier this week, Sanders spoke with reporters about his mindset throughout his first NFL training camp.

"I know I have the utmost standards for myself," Sanders said Monday. "I know all I can do is go out there and do what I got to do every day and make minimal mistakes. I know it's a long ways to go with everything and I know I lack experience on this realm and on this level, but one thing I can hang my hat on is in high-pressure situations, you know who I am."

Kickoff between the Browns and Panthers is set for 7 p.m. ET (5 p.m. MT) on the NFL Network.