A lot of people praised the Cleveland Browns after they selected quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and hailed the pick as a steal.
However, fast forward to current day, and the Browns have yet to really use his talents. Sanders is buried on Cleveland’s depth chart, and a new report leads to more questions about his role with the squad.
"I'm hearing Shedeur isn't even running scout team, he's literally watching everyone… why is he on the team, why is he here?," – @TheRealTRizzo on what he's hearing about Shedeur Sanders. pic.twitter.com/Mtx6bs0rZL
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 11, 2025
“I’m hearing Shedeur is not even running scout team,” insider Tony Rizzo said. “He’s literally watching everyone — Bailey Zappe’s running scout team? I don’t know if that’s true. That’s what I’m hearing.”
It should be noted that it might not be all that odd that Sanders isn’t running scout team in practice. Billy Heyen of the Sporting News offered an alternate perspective to the situation.
“The Browns have a practice squad quarterback, Bailey Zappe, whose job description almost certainly includes running the scout team in practice to simulate the other team’s plays,” wrote Heyen.
“Sanders, the QB3 behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel, isn’t meant to learn the opposition’s offense. He’s meant to learn Cleveland’s offense.”
Cleveland started none other than Flacco in its Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals a few days back. Flacco had an interesting day, as he completed 31 of his 45 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown, but he was also tagged with two interceptions. The picks were not entirely his fault.
Even if Flacco struggles and the Browns opt to replace him in the starting lineup with another quarterback, Sanders still might not be high up enough on the depth chart to get an opportunity to play. Gabriel would seemingly be next in line to get a crack at the starting role.
Gabriel was drafted two rounds before Sanders and evidently did enough during camp and the preseason to secure the QB2 role. Still, it’s worth asking why the Browns drafted Sanders only to give him long odds to see the field and have him warm the bench. Perhaps he’s viewed solely as a long-term project.
No matter the case, it’s possible Sanders won’t get a true chance to make a name for himself at the highest level until he joins another one of the 32 teams in the league. It’s unfortunate that there isn’t a clear path to him getting consistent playing time with the Browns, but if and when his opportunity in the NFL does come, he will certainly look to capitalize on it.
