The Cleveland Browns continue evaluating their quarterback competition after a summer-long battle between four signal-callers. No starter has been named yet.
Former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick thinks Joe Flacco will get the nod when the season begins.
“If I was a betting man, Joe Flacco is gonna go into the year as the starter. He has history there, he has success there, and I think it’s a great story. He’s a guy that’ll bring calm, he’s the guy that’s going to be able to get them off on the right foot. As the season goes along, when you draft guys early, and when you have young exciting guys, they’re excited for Gabriel, we could see him inserted into the lineup.”
Shedeur Sanders sat at the bottom of the unofficial depth chart when it was released. The rookie quarterback was throwing passes to equipment staff during training camp practices while other quarterbacks worked with receivers.
“Shedeur Sanders apparently is throwing not to receivers but to equipment guys. They have got equipment guys snapping him the ball and then also running the routes. Mahomes is throwing to Kelce, Shedeur is throwing to equipment guys,”
ESPN’s Cleveland Goldhammer reported.
Sanders started Friday’s preseason game despite his low depth chart position. He threw for two touchdowns and showed he belongs higher in the competition.
The rookie’s performance caught attention beyond football circles. Former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins compared Sanders’ star power to LeBron James.
“Shedeur got a preseason game feeling like a playoff opener. Like I said, most star power for a Rookie in Cleveland since Lebron,”
Perkins posted on social media.
Sanders brings a massive following to Cleveland. While he doesn’t face the same immediate expectations James carried when he arrived, the quarterback’s popularity is clear.
The rookie has time to prove he belongs at the top of Cleveland’s depth chart. Strong performances could eventually bring those same sky-high expectations James once carried for the city.
