The Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft. The former Colorado quarterback’s roster spot isn’t guaranteed heading into training camp.
USA Today’s Chris Bumbaca reports Sanders may not make it to training camp in July.
Sanders has shown mixed results during organized team activities this offseason. Some analysts believe he could develop into a starter by season’s end, though few expect him to open Week 1 under center.
The Browns currently carry five quarterbacks on their roster.
“By the time training camp arrives in July, Sanders said, he plans on being there. Whether Stefanski and the Browns coaching staff agree or not will determine the direction of Sanders’ rookie season,” Bumbaca wrote.
Sanders faces an uphill battle for a roster spot. He’s currently fourth on the depth chart behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel. Deshaun Watson remains on the roster but continues rehabbing an Achilles injury.
Pro Football Talk’s Michael Davis noted Sanders’s precarious position immediately after the draft.
“Sanders landed in a place where he’s no sure thing to even make the roster, given that he’ll likely open training camp fourth on the depth behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel,” Davis wrote in April.
NFL teams typically don’t carry five quarterbacks into the regular season. Sanders’s fifth-round draft position makes him the most expendable player at the position.
The Browns will likely need to find a trade partner or release Sanders before the season begins.
Sanders has expressed confidence about earning his spot despite the competition. The 22-year-old quarterback led Colorado to improved seasons during his time in Boulder.
His father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, serves as Colorado’s head coach.
