Shedeur Sanders injury update: Browns make roster move after adding QB to report

The Cleveland Browns have added backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders to its injury report with back tightness, the team announced. Bailey Zappe has been elevated from the practice squad in the event Sanders is ruled out.

Sanders is listed as questionable for the matchup, per ESPN Cleveland. The Browns will travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots this Sunday.

Zappe is in his fourth season in the NFL out of Western Kentucky. He was drafted in the fourth round by the New England Patriots during the 2022 NFL Draft. He has 15 career games under his belt, including nine starts. One of those came last season with the Browns.

For Sanders, he has been the second-team quarterback for the Browns since Cleveland traded Joe Flacco earlier this month. Flacco is now the starter for the Cincinnati Bengals and rookie Dillon Gabriel has been QB1 for Cleveland ever since.

Sanders was the second quarterback that the Browns drafted during the 2025 NFL Draft. Dillon Gabriel went one round ahead of Sanders, who was picked up in the fifth round by the franchise. Gabriel remained one spot ahead of Sanders on the depth chart after Flacco was dealt across the state.

In the three games that Gabriel has started (five total game appearances) in Cleveland, he’s completed 59.8% (64-107) of his passes for 546 yards and three touchdowns. Gabriel has yet to throw and interception during his short NFL career.

In a related move, the Browns are elevating DT Sam Kamara from the practice squad alongside Zappe. A former undrafted free agent out of Stony Brook, Kamara has has appeared in 14 games with the Browns since 2022.

The Browns head into Week 8 with a 2-5 record. Meanwhile, New England is surging at 5-2 under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. QB Drake Maye has looked every bit of the first-round draft pick they expected him to be as he’s top 10 in passing yards (8th, 1,744 yards), touchdowns (12) and QBR (76.8). He’s only thrown two interceptions this season as well.

The 5-2 start for the Patriots currently have them atop the AFC East over the Buffalo Bills. Cleveland currently occupies third place in the AFC North behind the Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kickoff between the Browns and Patriots is set for 1 p.m. ET. FOX will carry the live broadcast.