Shedeur Sanders is officially in the mix for the Cleveland Browns' quarterback job. But how long he stays in that mix is a question that just got a lot more interesting.
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The rookie QB and former Colorado star is part of a crowded and banged-up position group in Cleveland, which now includes Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Deshaun Watson, and most recently, Tyler Huntley. With Pickett and Gabriel nursing hamstring issues, and Sanders dealing with a shoulder problem of his own, the Browns brought in Huntley this week to stabilize things.
Then came the team's first depth chart of the preseason. Sanders landed in the No. 4 spot, ahead of only Huntley, who just showed up. That depth chart drop, combined with his injury and the Browns' quarterback logjam, has sparked speculation about whether the fifth-round pick could be the odd man out.
Oddsmakers are already on it. According to Bovada.com, Sanders is favored to make the team, but there's money to be made if he gets cut. Betting on him not making the final roster comes with +300 odds, while the safer bet is on him sticking around at -500.
That said, Sanders is in line to start Cleveland's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, which gives him a real shot to climb the depth chart, especially with Gabriel sidelined.
Realistically, Flacco or Pickett are still the frontrunners for the Week 1 start to the actual NFL season. Flacco, now 40, went 4-1 down the stretch for Cleveland in 2023 and remains a steady veteran presence. Pickett has starting experience from his time in Pittsburgh and is still considered part of the team's near-future plans.
That leaves Sanders with a narrow path — but not an impossible one.
And Browns fans know better than anyone that having five quarterbacks doesn't always mean you have one you can count on. If Sanders can flash in the preseason, he could make that conversation a little more complicated.
