The Cleveland Browns have been in the NFL spotlight all offseason, and that will especially be the case on Friday night as they kick off their preseason. The reason the football world, and fans beyond, are anticipating a Browns preseason game is because Shedeur Sanders is set to start at quarterback.
The rookie is already one of the most popular, talked about players in the league. With a cult-like following, and some haters fueling his popularity as well, everyone is curious to know what they’ll see on the field Friday night. While the game will unfold in its own way, Browns color commentator Nathan Zegura is giving fans and idea of what they can expect.
During a Friday appearance on The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima, Zegura detailed Cleveland’s plan for Sanders. According to the broadcaster, the Browns are planning to open the passing game up for the rookie, doing a lot of the things Sanders did during his time at Colorado. Zegura said Cleveland will likely run some four receiver sets with the rookie in shotgun, but will also have him under center some. The goal is for the quarterback to look good, while also transitioning him to Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
📞"I think it'll be open for him, they want to keep it to things he's comfortable with doing... Stuff he was used to doing at Colorado."@NathanZegura tells @KenCarmanShow what he expects the gameplan to be for Shedeur Sanders in tonight's preseason game🏈 pic.twitter.com/qvB9nvNWsy
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 8, 2025
Browns plan to open up the passing game for Shedeur Sanders in the preseason
Stefanski has already announced that Sanders and Tyler Huntley are the only two Cleveland quarterbacks who will play in Friday’s game, and Sanders will get the bulk of the work— around 50 snaps according to the head coach. While the Browns will definitely run the ball a decent amount, the team is going to give Sanders the opportunity to show off his abilities.
Throughout camp, the rookie has been doing that, consistently showcasing the processing, timing, and accuracy skills that made him a special quarterback at the college level. With the Browns technically in the middle of a quarterback competition, Sanders’ performance on Friday could definitely make things even louder in Cleveland.
Ultimately, Sanders isn’t going to win the job or remove himself from the competition on Friday night, but he has the perfect opportunity to send a loud message to the organization.