Browns Veteran Turns On Shedeur Sanders After Kevin Stefanski Takes Tough QB Decision

The Cleveland Browns knew they were drafting a polarizing prospect when they selected Shedeur Sanders. In Colorado, he threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2024, but also absorbed a staggering 42 sacks. That was the second straight year he led the nation in sacks taken, and scouts kept repeating how his habit of holding the ball too long could follow him to the NFL. And Sanders didn’t take long to showcase both the promise and the problems.

Against the Carolina Panthers in his first preseason appearance, he looked confident, finishing 14 of 23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He displayed accuracy in tight windows and even showed the ability to extend plays with four carries for 19 yards. Kevin Stefanski admitted afterward, “Pleased with Shedeur (Sanders), ​​pleased with the offense. Again, not perfect, plenty that we can work on. But I thought the guys did a really nice job with Shedeur.” It was the debut that Cleveland wanted to see from its rookie quarterback.

But in the next preseason matchup against the Rams, the optimism thinned. That tape caught the attention of the Browns veteran Joe Thomas, who made his observations on The Dawgs Podcast. Thomas said, “Unfortunately, the things that made Shedeur drop in the draft were he takes too many sacks. He drifts in the pocket. He’s not comfortable stepping up into the pocket and making quick decisions and reading the defense.” And he’s not wrong. Sanders’ performance against the Rams proves his point.

Thomas pointed out the difference between the two preseason performances. “The first time we saw him against Carolina, he was money. He was lights out and it was awesome watching that decision-making process,” Thomas said. “But then we did see sort of the college Shedeur a little bit in the game against the Rams, where right off the bat, he’s dropping too deep. And instead of stepping up as he’s going through his progressions, he tries to drift and drift, and then escape the pocket from the backside.”

August 8, 2025: Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 walks off before the NFL, American Football Herren, USA matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, NC. /CSM Charlotte United States – ZUMAc04_ 20250808_zma_c04_009 Copyright: xScottxKinserx

Against the Rams, Sanders immediately started drifting in the pocket, dropping deeper as defensive pressure mounted. His timing faltered, and instead of stepping up, he relied on late lateral escapes, which collapsed plays. Joe Thomas captured the problem exactly: “As soon as he lost confidence in his protection because he was getting hit, now all of a sudden, he just continues to drop deeper and deeper and deeper, which is just compounding the problem.

“He wasn’t able to self-correct in the moment, and he let the frustration get the best of him, which I think that was the most disappointing part of that entire preseason game.” Over five series in the second half, Sanders struggled to move the offense, managing just one first down while taking five sacks. His inability to quickly release the ball – highlighted by a costly 24-yard sack when he kept scrambling. But now here’s the problem: Joe Thomas was not the only one taking notice. Kevin Stefanski made it official before the regular season began.

Stefanski’s verdict: Shedeur Sanders slips to QB3

Sanders lost the competition not only for the starting job but also for the backup spot. Joe Flacco retained the top role, and rookie Dillon Gabriel impressed enough to secure QB2 on the roster. As per Ian Rapoport, “#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski tells reporters that Shedeur Sanders will be the third QB, meaning he’s able to dress for games.”

That left Sanders as the Browns’ third quarterback – an “emergency” option under the 2023 bylaw. Before Cleveland publicly announced Dillon Gabriel as the backup, Albert Breer had already suggested the direction they were leaning. “At this point, they would feel more comfortable putting Dillon Gabriel in a regular-season game than they would Shedeur Sanders.”

The position comes with strict conditions. Sanders will dress on game days, but may only enter if both Flacco and Gabriel are unavailable due to injury or ejection. He cannot be inserted because of performance, meaning Cleveland does not trust him – yet – to manage live NFL action. For a rookie who once spoke of “changing a franchise,” earning the emergency designation reinforces the gap between his ambition and immediate reality.

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