It’s safe to say that Shedeur Sanders wouldn’t have believed that he’d end up a potential cut candidate in July, as the Cleveland Browns’ fourth-string quarterback. But after a historic draft slide, pre-snap struggles in practice, and two high-profile speeding violations, that’s where he finds himself.
Such is the nature of the team’s approach to the position this offseason, though, that Sanders also has an outside shot of winning the starting job in pre-season.
In a recent article, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot has detailed the areas that Sanders needs to work on if he is to usurp the three quarterbacks ahead of him in Cleveland.
Pre-Snap Struggles Held Shedeur Sanders Back in Early Browns Practices
Despite his fall to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, many expected Sanders to emerge quickly as the QB1 in Cleveland. The former Colorado star has instead struggled to get to grips with some key aspects of the position early on, leaving him firmly at the back of the queue.
Sanders has been mostly practicing with the team’s depth players, with fans and analysts calling for the quarterback to get more opportunities with the starters. According to Cabot, though, there is good reason for the quarterback’s lack of opportunities thus far.
“The reason Sanders started a little slowly is that he began his NFL career a little behind Gabriel in terms of the pre-snap process and all of the things a QB must do to call and execute the play at this level. From the snap to the end of the play, he was mostly golden, but a quarterback must have his ducks in a row pre-snap before Myles Garrett is planting him in the turf.
“It includes calling complicated plays in the huddle, identifying the defensive formation, sliding the protections, directing the motion and shifting, and audibling if necessary. It’s why he was sometimes on the opposite field working alone with coaches and backup players to catch up while [Joe] Flacco, [Kenny] Pickett, and [Dillon] Gabriel worked with the starters on the main field.”
Sanders Made Big Strides in Spring Practice, Should Get More Opportunities Moving Forward
Cabot’s assessment of Sanders makes sense when analyzing the player’s pre-draft reputation. Sanders was lauded for his accuracy and ability to take hits, while many were concerned about his tendency to overextend plays.
The quarterback’s accuracy has reportedly impressed onlookers at practice, but the messy nature of his plays was overlooked as offensive line issues at Colorado. A young quarterback’s ability to improvise is always considered a plus, but an extensive catalogue of such plays could easily be evidence of pre-snap struggles.
Caleb Williams was considered one of the most exciting quarterbacks to enter the league in years last April, but was sacked a league-high 68 times in his rookie year. Sanders has shown progress in that area, though, and could be set for more exposure in future practices.
“Sanders so impressed the staff with his growing grasp of the pre-snap process during those final two weeks that he kept himself in the mix for the starting job, and earned more quality reps in training camp.”
The insider then suggested that if Sanders continued his progression, he could be in line for a shot at the starting job before too long.
“If Sanders demonstrates during that pivotal week (August joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles) that he deserves to be on the field, the Browns will tailor the offense to his strengths and give him a shot. It’s still an uphill battle for either Sanders or Gabriel to start Week 1 against the Bengals, but it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.”
Cabot noted that Dillon Gabriel retains an edge over Sanders due to his head start in reading defenses and controlling an offense. Sanders fans should be encouraged, though, as he remains in the mix for the starting job.
