Kevin Stefanski still not committing to Shedeur Sanders as Browns backup quarterback

The Cleveland Browns traded Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday afternoon, but the rest of their quarterback depth chart is unknown.

Flacco had served as the backup quarterback after being benched in favor of rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel.

Even after the dust had settled after the trade of Flacco, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski would not commit to rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders as the team’s backup quarterback.

“Still working through all roster type of things,” Stefanski said. “I always have to be mindful of our players and our players’ development.”

Stefanski said that he will let the week play out before he makes a decision on who the team’s backup quarterback will be moving forward.

After Flacco was traded, the expectation was for Sanders to have the opportunity to move up the depth chart in Cleveland. Stefanski continued to reiterate that the Browns take development very seriously for all of their young players.

Once the Browns made a quarterback change last week, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that there is an expectation that the Browns would like to get a look at Sanders this season. However, Rapoport extrapolated that the team prefers to be strategic with their fifth-round quarterback, giving him a full week worth of preparation surrounding a game plan that supports his strengths.

This offseason, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam expressed that Stefanski’s staff “absolutely” wants to see both rookie quarterbacks this season.

While Stefanski did not commit to Sanders on Tuesday, he also did not lean into any of Cleveland’s other options.

This morning, the Browns did not activate quarterback Bailey Zappe from the practice squad. Additionally, Stefanski continued to be non-committal about Deshaun Watson seeing the field this season.

Stefanski repeated that Watson was recovering well from his ruptured Achilles tendons.

Gabriel will remain the team’s starting quarterback as the Browns prepare to travel to Pittsburgh and face the Steelers. While Gabriel did not jump off the page in Cleveland’s Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, he threw two touchdown passes.

Against the Steelers, Gabriel will be tasked with improving Cleveland’s offense, which has been the worst in the NFL in pretty much every statistical category.

Expect the Browns to make some sort of announcement surrounding their backup quarterback ahead of Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh.

But for now, Sanders and Browns fans will be waiting together to find out what the contingency plan will be in the event Gabriel is injured.