NFL Insider Says Shedeur Sanders 'Probably' Won't Be QB1 After Browns' Camp Decisions

The Cleveland Browns have four quarterbacks vying for the QB1 spot right now, including rookie Shedeur Sanders.

Perhaps Sanders is starting for the Browns someday, but as of now, chances are he won't be the leading man when Cleveland takes the field Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic.

"The four-man quarterback competition gets the headlines — and will get the scrutiny once it really gets going in late July. Could fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders win the job by September? Probably not given that Sanders is the only one of the four to take no first-team reps in the spring, but we’ll see. Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are only signed through 2025, and we saw the Browns create extra competitive reps for both Sanders and third-rounder Dillon Gabriel in nearly every spring practice. When does the order really start to matter? Could the Browns really keep all four? Will there be a pre-deadline for the team to focus only on the future? Truly, there are numerous ways this can go."

Sanders is competing with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett as well as fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, a third-round choice out of Oregon.

Since Sanders hasn't taken any first-team reps this spring, it's hard to envision him rising in training camp quickly enough to win the QB1 job right away.

Of course, that also doesn't particularly matter. Sanders was seen as a potential first-round draft pick for the entire pre-draft process, but he stunningly fell all the way to Round 5 and wasn't even the first QB selected by his new team.

It's not common for quarterbacks drafted in the fourth round or later to start right away. The last one to do so was Dak Prescott (fourth round) for the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. The three-time Pro Bowler and 2023 passing touchdowns leader has had a good career, especially for a fourth-rounder, but he's an exception to the rule.

However, Day 3 quarterbacks have carved out great careers over time, none more notable than the 199th overall pick of the 2000 draft, Tom Brady.

Ultimately, patience will probably be the virtue for Sanders as he embarks on his NFL career.