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How Shedeur Sanders' Preseason Performance Impacts Browns' QB Battle

Shedeur Sanders's two-touchdown performance certainly adds intrigue to the Browns' quarterback battle.

Eva Geitheim

Shedeur Sanders threw two touchdown passes in his preseason debut, but is it enough to move up the depth chart?
Shedeur Sanders threw two touchdown passes in his preseason debut, but is it enough to move up the depth chart? / Scott Kinser-The USAToday Network via Imagn Images
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Shedeur Sanders left a strong impression in his first NFL preseason start for the Browns' opener against the Panthers.

With both Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel managing hamstring injuries, Sanders not only got the start, but an extensive look, playing about two and a half quarters before Tyler Huntley replaced him toward the end of the third quarter.

Sanders and the Browns offense got off to a slow start before a muffed punt by the Panthers landed them in the red zone and sparked their first touchdown. Two plays after the muff, Sanders nicely threw a touchdown between two Panthers defenders to Kaden Davis.

Sanders then appeared to play with even more confidence. On the ensuing drive, he nicely completed a pass on third-and-long while backed up in his own end zone, and during the final drive of the half, he fired a second touchdown to Davis, placing the ball where only his receiver could nab it.

Sanders would lead another touchdown drive in third quarter after the defense forced a Panthers' interception, which culminated in a two-yard touchdown run by Gage Larvadain. He finished the night 14 for 23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

Overall, Sanders looked comfortable operating the offense from multiple situations and looks. He executed under center, while rolling out and off of play-action during the game. He also played well in the red zone, throwing two touchdowns, and also converted several third-and-longs on the night.

Sanders did miss a few throws, including overthrowing running back Dylan Sampson after escaping pressure on the second drive and under throwing Brenden Bates while backed up in their own territory. He did get to flash his mobility by converting a scramble into a first down and escaping pressure multiple times, but some of his chaotic scampers in the backfield likely wouldn't have worked against NFL starting defenses.

Ultimately, this was an important showing for Sanders, who was the fourth quarterback on the Browns unofficial depth chart heading into Friday's game. Due to the Browns' crowded quarterback room, Sanders has seen fewer reps during training camp, so this start allowed him to see plenty of action when it will not be guaranteed going forward in the preseason and regular season.

Though Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he was "pleased" with Sanders's play, he emphasized there was plenty for them to work on and that he would not be talking about the quarterback competition at this point.

This start alone will not guarantee Sanders moves up on the depth chart. It was a good performance for Sanders, but he will likely need to string together multiple strong preseason efforts for a shot to move up in the quarterback room. After all, Pickett, Gabriel and Joe Flacco have all seen more first-team reps through practice, and none of them have seen preseason action for the Browns yet.

Sanders could very well move up in the Browns' quarterback room if he builds off Friday's game, but it still seems unlikely he wins the starting job by Week 1. He likely can move up the depth chart though, which would put him in better position to see action during the regular season if another Browns quarterback underwhelms or suffers an injury.

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

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