Report: Shedeur Sanders to remain Browns' starting quarterback in Week 13

QB Shedeur Sanders made the first start of his career in the NFL on Sunday. He’s now, as of this morning, set up to make his second one this weekend in Week 13.

Per sources speaking to Ian Rapoport, Sanders will be named as the starting quarterback again for Cleveland, which has since been confirmed by Kevin Stefanski. He’ll do so in the next game for the Browns against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

“The #Browns are naming QB Shedeur Sanders as their starting QB this week against the #49ers, sources say,” Rapoport posted on social media this morning.

“Shedeur will start this week,” Stefanski since confirmed at his press conference. “Obviously, you know, the number one job of a quarterback is to win, so excited to get that first win under his belt. And then, next thing is improvement, and that’s what young players do, certainly young quarterbacks do. You get one game better, and that’s just from working at it. So, that’ll be our focus.”

This is of significance too considering the latest on the status of QB Dillon Gabriel. Per Mike Garafolo as well of the NFL Network, along with now being per Stefanski, Gabriel (59.2% for 117.1 ypg., seven touchdowns, two interceptions) has cleared concussion protocol, but, regardless, Sanders will be the starter instead for the Browns.

“Dillon Gabriel cleared concussion protocol,” said Stefanski.

“Yeah, I’m just going to focus on this week,” Stefanski said of the Browns’ plans at quarterback. “I’m not going to get much past this week.

In the 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Sin City on Sunday, Sanders was 11/20 (55%) for 209 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. It was the overall operation to go along with his play, though, that impressed his coaches and team, especially with room to grow for him after just his first start and second-ever appearance.

“Well, obviously, first start for any young quarterback, you’re always going to make sure that the operation is how you want it, and I thought, by and large, it was good. There’s things we can clean up and, obviously, that goes on all of us, as coaches, that’s the players, the quarterback, where we can clean up some of our operation. But, I thought communication was really good throughout the day with him,” said Stefanski. “And then, like you mentioned, the big plays down the field? Obviously, that first one to IB was, you know, a very, very high degree of difficulty with that play.”

“Are there things that he can do better? Absolutely. We’ve already talked about that with him,” Stefanski added. “He has the mentality that he will, you know, make the adjustments to the speed of the game, and make the adjustments to what people are giving us, to make those improvements.”

Sanders looked capable in his debut as a starter this past weekend against the Raiders. That has seemingly now earned him the opportunity, at least for another week, to start again for the Browns, with the 49ers coming up next this weekend for Cleveland.