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Shedeur Sanders sounds off on QB play around the NFL: 'I know I'm capable of doing better than that'

ProfilePhotoby: Nick Geddes09/25/25NickGeddesNews
Shedeur Sanders
Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders has opened up his rookie season as QB3 on the Cleveland Browns’ depth chart. Joe Flacco is QB1, and fellow rookie signal-caller Dillon Gabriel is his backup.

Sanders has not been active for any of Cleveland’s three games this season, instead running the scout team in practice. Sanders, however, feels he’s “ready to play right now.” He also believes he’s capable of performing better than some of the starting quarterbacks around the NFL.

“I know for sure, I know if you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that,” Sanders told ESPN Cleveland on Thursday.

Sanders made it clear he’s not comfortable being a “scout team player.” He isn’t letting that impact his mindset.

“Just because where I am on the depth chart, [I] don’t let that dictate my mindset each and every day, because you don’t know what could happen,” Sanders said.

Sanders, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, slipped to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Up until the day of the draft, he was widely expected to come off the board in Round 1. He finished his first preseason in Cleveland completing 17-of-29 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He was sacked seven times.

Deion Sanders doubles down on prediction that son Shedeur will start in 2025 for Cleveland Browns

Sanders has to jump both Flacco and Gabriel to get a chance to start under center. His dad and former Colorado head coach, Deion Sanders, believes he will start at some point for the Browns this season.

“I’m not just being optimistic. I know what he brings to the table,” Deion Sanders said on Thursday. “And right now, he’s excited about the scout team. He’s taking the scout team and said, ‘This is game day for me.’ He gets three days a week to perform, and they’re going [against] the darn starters on defense.”

Flacco, 40, has seen it all. It made sense for the Browns to start him to begin the season, rather than throw a rookie straight into the fire. Flacco has largely struggled thus far, throwing for 631 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions on 61.1% passing. The Browns are 1-2, coming off a 13-10 Week 3 win over the Green Bay Packers (2-1).