NFL Rumors: Shedeur Sanders Reportedly Has 'Impressed' Browns Ahead of QB1 Battle

In the very early returns for the Cleveland Browns' four-man quarterback competition, Shedeur Sanders has acclimated himself well in the role that he's been asked to do.

Per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, Sanders has "impressed" the Browns "on the field and within the building" since being drafted in April.

This doesn't indicate at all that Sanders is necessarily moving up the depth chart at this point. Oyefusi noted the fifth-round rookie didn't take a single snap with the first-team offense in practice reps during the spring that were open to the media.

When asked about Sanders not getting first-team reps during mandatory minicamp last month, head coach Kevin Stefanski downplayed it as being part of the early process.

"Yeah, again, like I’ve told you guys, let’s not look too much into who’s out there when. We’re in installation phase, we’re in teaching phase, so not much to look into," Stefanski told reporters on June 11.

Despite Stefasnki not wanting people to read into it, it's hard not to when Oyefusi pointed out Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick in the 2025 draft, received the most first-team reps in practices open to the media.

Joe Flacco took the fewest snaps by design because of his "experience and familiarity with the offense," per Oyefusi.

Sanders doesn't necessarily have to open the season as Cleveland's starting quarterback to eventually move into that role, but his training camp reps will go a long way toward telling everyone where he stands on the hierarchy.

The Browns' quarterback room is also going to be among the biggest stories in the NFL during camp. It's extremely rare that a team has a three-person battle, let alone four.

There has been speculation since Gabriel and Sanders were drafted that the Browns would end up moving one of the four players, though Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has suggested keeping all of them is "within the realm of possibility."

As long as Sanders continues to impress Browns coaches throughout training camp, he could put himself in position to eventually move into the starting role at some point this season if he doesn't win the job out of camp.

Sanders' first action in a professional game could come on Aug. 8 when the Browns open their preseason schedule against the Carolina Panthers.