Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) throws during NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns Fans Won't Love This New Shedeur Sanders Prediction

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Spencer German | Last updated May 22, 2025 12:50 PM ET

Many Cleveland Browns fans have high expectations for Shedeur Sanders heading into his rookie season. Of course, in order for Sanders to meet those expectations, he first has to see the field.

The Colorado product will have a shot at earning the Browns starting quarterback job this summer. Cleveland's brass has called it an open competition for the role, with Sanders and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel serving as the two most intriguing competitors.

Ultimately, though, it could be one of the veterans, 40-year-old Joe Flacco or former first-round pick Kenny Pickett, who gets the first crack at starting for the team come Week 1. If that happens, Sanders will likely have to wait a little bit before he gets to play, which may limit just how impactful he'll be in his rookie year.

ESPN's Mike Clay is banking on that being how things play out this fall, with both Sanders and Gabriel seeing action is just a handful of games. That leaves his official projections for the two young signal-callers pretty underwhelming overall.

Clay projects Sanders to throw for 925 yards and four touchdowns this season. For Gabriel, the estimates came out slightly higher, with the Oregon product compiling 1,205 yards and five touchdowns.

"In Cleveland, Gabriel and Sanders will compete with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett for the Week 1 starting job. Both rookies figure to get some 2025 run because of the uncertainty surrounding Flacco and Pickett," wrote Clay via ESPN.

How productive both Browns rookies are will ultimately come down to how many games each of them plays. That's something head coach Kevin Stefanski will have to sort out in the coming months and is likely to spill over into the season.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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