Shedeur Sanders Reportedly Expected to Start Preseason Opener Amid Browns QB Injuries

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will have his opportunity to impress his coaches on Friday night.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Sanders is expected to start Cleveland's preseason clash with the Carolina Panthers. Hamstring injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel have, if only temporarily, moved him up the depth chart.

Although Joe Flacco is healthy, Cleveland isn't going to gain much additional insight from playing him in the preseason. He's approaching his 18th year in the NFL, so head coach Kevin Stefanski knows his strengths and weaknesses pretty well.

The injuries to Pickett and Gabriel at least open a pathway for Sanders to win the backup job and earn a spot on the active roster.

This hasn't been a great summer so far for the fifth-round draft pick. He sat out last Saturday's drills due to arm soreness, and a limited workload in training camp has created a narrative the Browns are giving him short shrift.

Preseason games aren't always a predictor of how a quarterback will perform in games that matter. Building a Hall of Fame bust of Pickett on the basis of him throwing for 261 yards and three touchdowns across three exhibitions in 2022 proved to be premature.

But Friday night will be by far the best look we've had of Sanders in an NFL offense.

If the former Colorado standout plays well, then an already notable QB battle will take a big twist. Should he struggle, on the other hand, the seemingly critical eye the coaching staff have taken toward him will look more justified.