The Cleveland Browns have made a quarterback change. Joe Flacco has been benched and rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel will be taking over at quarterback. Some might wonder how this move will impact fifth-round rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders and, on paper, it doesn't look like much will change for the Colorado product.
Sanders is still slated to be QB3 behind Gabriel and Flacco so his role is not going to change, at least not right now. CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones recently reported that fans shouldn't be surprised if Sanders becomes the starter at some point down the road.
"Shedeur Sanders, there's a lot of questions about him. Obviously, the Cleveland Browns do not feel that he is ready to be one snap away from playing in an NFL game, that's why he'll remain as the emergency third-string quarterback," Jones said. "They hope to get a spark from Gabriel, they hope to play him the rest of the season but of course don't at all be surprised if in five, seven, nine weeks, we're talking about a Browns team that is now starting Shedeur Sanders."
NFL insider says Shedeur Sanders could be starting for the Browns by end of season
The Browns quarterback situation was always going to be a popular talking point because of all of the names they brought in this offseason. Flacco won the starting job over Kenny Pickett, who was traded to the Raiders, while the two rookie signal-callers sat and learned on the bench.
Gabriel was the team's third-round pick this year out of Oregon while Sanders plummeted from a potential first-round pick to going in the fifth round. That was the story surrounding draft weekend and his presence on the roster will continue to be a story all season long.
Gabriel will now get a chance to showcase what he can do as a starter but if he's not able to put on a promising enough performance and/or if the offense doesn't improve under him, Sanders could get promoted into the starting role. As Jones pointed out, the team doesn't feel comfortable even making Sanders the backup right now but that could very well change as the season goes on and the noise surrounding Sanders grows louder.
Hopefully, Gabriel looks decent in his new role and can stave off the the calls for Sanders to take over as the starter. If he doesn't look good in his first few starts, however, Browns fans shouldn't be the least bit shocked when Sanders gets a chance to show what he can do as a starting quarterback in the NFL.