The quarterback situation for the Cleveland Browns may seem chaotic to onlookers, but Shedeur Sanders maintains there’s a strong sense of unity among the QBs.
“Everybody’s cool,” Sanders told Kay Adams at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere. “Outside the room, people try to pit us against each other, but inside the room, we know we’re one.”
Before the event, Sanders expressed uncertainty about adapting to NFL-level competition. “I am not sure,” he said when asked about facing NFL defenses. Sanders, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Browns, is just one part of a crowded quarterback lineup that includes Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and an injured Deshaun Watson.
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Despite the intense competition, Sanders shared that the atmosphere remains positive, noting that when he received the call from GM Andrew Berry, he was assured that draft status was irrelevant and that hard work would be the key to success for everyone.
Mary Kay Cabot, a plugged-in Browns insider, believes that mere grind won’t automatically guarantee a rise up the team’s depth chart. She has identified Pickett as the leading contender, reporting that he is slated for the initial first-team reps during organized team activities and is likely to maintain that lead throughout training camp.
In her view, for now, the starting role for the Browns is Pickett’s “job to try to keep for now.” Sanders expressed his amazement at being teammates with Super Bowl champ and MVP Flacco, describing it as surreal to absorb wisdom from the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Despite being rivals on paper, this fact hasn’t dampened spirits within the team’s HQ.
Likewise, Sanders didn’t hold back in appreciating Gabriel, acknowledging him as “a cool person” who keeps a positive stance amidst adverse media attention. Gabriel reciprocated the sentiment regarding Sanders’ arrival on the team, asserting to the press his commitment to preserving the unity within the team’s locker room by stating, “For us, we know how important a healthy QB room is.
“But also, a team that everybody wants to be a part of.”
With Watson anticipated to miss the coming season because of an Achilles injury incurred last year, the fans have been clamoring for a fresh start, given his off-field controversies. The Browns’ brass reacted swiftly: they acquired Pickett, re-signed Flacco, and brought on new blood in the form of Gabriel and Sanders, readying themselves for a thorough talent assessment starting with preseason bouts in August.
Sanders officially inked his rookie contract on Monday, marking what he hopes will be the start of his NFL career not as a benchwarmer, but as a quarterback.
He comes to Cleveland after playing 50 college games between Colorado and Jackson State, where he completed 1,267 out of 1,808 passes for a completion rate of 70.1 percent, racking up 14,353 yards, 134 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions.
