Like many lightning-rod prospects before him, Shedeur Sanders has officially taken the league by storm. In fact, Yahoo Sports has the data on just how many people tuned in to watch the rookie signal caller's debut against the Carolina Panthers. An average of more than 2.2 million spectators tuned in to NFL Network for the game. This would apparently be the largest audience for a preseason game in 10 years on that network.
The performance provided much-needed excitement for a fanbase that is starving for even the slightest bit of hope. Sanders represents one of the things that makes football so great: the chance that your favorite team might've found the next diamond in the rough. No one would fault Browns fans for enjoying the spotlight for a little while. The last few years have provided little to be proud of, and the spotlight on the team seems to be for the wrong reason, usually.
Albert Breer puts the brakes on the Shedeur Sanders' Week 1 starting hype
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated cautions against any significant takeaways from his ballyhooed debut, however. Appearing on 92.3 The Fan, as transcribed by The Dawgs podcast, Breer provided the sobering reality of how the coaching staff views Shedeur Sanders at this time, relative to his fellow rookie counterpart in the quarterback room:
"At this point, they would feel more comfortable putting Dillon Gabriel in a regular season game than they would Shedeur Sanders. That doesn’t mean that can’t change ... I don’t think a few throws in a preseason game is going to be the change agent that people want it to be."Albert Breer
This should hardly come as news to anyone who's been following the team closely over the last few months. It has been reported that Kevin Stefanski was particularly smitten with Dillon Gabriel in the draft process. The idea that Gabriel is still significantly ahead of Sanders in the pecking order was reinforced by Breer's reporting.
While fans may begin to grow impatient with that approach, it should be noted that Dillon Gabriel has yet to take a preseason snap due to tightness in his hamstring. Throughout training camp, reporters onsite noted that of the two rookies, Gabriel received the lion's share of first-team reps.
The temperature will surely rise if Gabriel struggles in what could be his debut on Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was thrust into an impossible situation when the Browns subsequently took Sanders in round five.
Gabriel was already a polarizing prospect in some scouting circles, and now the player behind him on the depth chart just so happens to be one of the most discussed players in college football last year - the quarterback controversy writes itself.
Nonetheless, it's important to note that the season has hardly begun, and any predictions as to the future are merely speculation. Things change quickly in the NFL. If the Browns offense suddenly sputters with Gabriel under center, or he truly looks out of his depth at this level - as some believe - it'll be nearly impossible to ignore the gap between the two.
The most likely scenario remains that the Browns start off the campaign with one of their veteran signal callers under center, with all signs pointing to Joe Flacco getting the nod. Flacco has consistently taken the majority of first-team reps, and despite being healthy enough to play, the Browns have opted to shelve him for their first two preseason contests.
If the Browns stumble out of the gate, it should be no surprise to see a healthy dose of each of their rookies as the Browns determine what they have in the duo. As things currently stand, it appears Dillon Gabriel will get the first crack at it if things go awry.
Shedeur Sanders' fans need not worry, as a fifth-round pick, he was always going to need to bide his time until opportunity came. If the Browns' season plays out as many expect, all of Cleveland will get to see what he can do in real games that actually count.