Shedeur Sanders Set Up To Fail In Cleveland Browns Quarterback Battle?

Is former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders being set up to fail in his NFL rookie season with the Cleveland Browns? The Browns also selected former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the 2025 NFL Draft with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett already on the roster.

The crowded quarterback room gives reason for concern for Sanders' future with the Browns for a few reasons.

Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) passes the ball at the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images | Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

First of all, limited practice reps for a rookie is not ideal. With four quarterbacks vying for the starting job, including a Super Bowl MVP in Flacco, reps in practice will come at a premium. To make the situation more complicated, each of the four quarterbacks are new to the organization in 2025 so the Browns need to evaluate each "from scratch" as opposed to if a few of the athetes were already on the roster from last season.

Secondly, Shedeur will likely have to split preseason game reps and be paired with the backup offensive line and limited weapons. Of course this is normal for preseason football, but with the added scrutiny to Shedeur's every move - expectations might exceed the reality of the situation.

Last but not least, the Browns schedule is ranked as the second-hardest for the 2025-26 NFL season. The ranking from Sharp Football Analysis is based on Vegas forecasted win totals.

Jan 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) walks off the field after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Cleveland will have to overcome its road woes in 2025 to contend in the AFC North. Over the past two seasons, Cleveland is 10-7 at home and 4-13 on the road. The manageable part of the Browns 2025 schedule comes on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, New England Patriots and Chicago Bears.

For these reasons, it's rare for a team to draft two quarterbacks in an NFL draft while already having two quarterbacks on the roster (three if you count Deshaun Watson who is expected to be out with an ACL injury.)

That's not to say Sanders cannot overcome these challenges.

Or possibly the quarterback situation in Cleveland will change. NFL insider Jeremy Fowler recently detailed the reasoning for Cleveland's additions, noting that one of the five quarterbacks could be shipped elsewhere.

Dec 29, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski looks on during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Huntington Bank Field. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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“Asking around after the draft, the sense I get is the Browns value, or look at the roster through the prism of currency,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “So that could lead to a potential trade down the road. Because it is a crowded room."

"Stefanski does like to keep four quarterbacks in his room," Fowler said. "So you roll up those four, they gave up a third round pick and two fifth round picks for Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, maybe they can recoup some of that if they showcase one of those players in the preseason, or one looks good, or there’s an injury down the road."

The Browns drafted Gabriel in the third round and Sanders in the fifth round. Cleveland had Gabriel higher on their draft board and ahead of Sanders on the depth chart. Gabriel certainly has a great chance to contend for the starting job, like Sanders.

“We’ll see what happens. They’re going to give these guys a shot," Fowler said. "They are very high on Dillon Gabriel. That’s a player that I had earmarked going into the draft. Was hearing from other teams that the Browns low-key really like him. He’s a smaller player, so he didn’t have a high draft status, but they loved the way he plays the position, so we’ll see if he can make a little move.”