How Risky Is Starting Shedeur Sanders in Week 1 For Cleveland Browns?

The Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 50 picks after taking fellow quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round.

Add in veteran quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Deshaun Watson—still under contract but rehabbing from injury—and Cleveland suddenly has five quarterbacks on the depth chart with no clear frontrunner.

Now, with multiple first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, Cleveland faces a potentially franchise-defining decision: should they take their time grooming Sanders and Gabriel, or throw them into the fire to see what they’ve got?

On 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, longtime host Ken Carman cautioned against rushing Sanders into action.

“I want him to have a chance to succeed. . . I want what’s best for Shedeur Sanders,” Carman said. “Starting him Week 1 would be a reckless thing to do.”

Given the Browns’ long and often chaotic quarterback history since returning to the NFL in 1999, patience might be the smarter route.

Flacco, a Super Bowl MVP with veteran experience, offers a steady hand and familiarity with the playbook—possibly giving Sanders and Gabriel time to acclimate from the sidelines.

While Sanders turned heads during OTAs —some even calling him the best quarterback on the field—the reality of NFL speed, a new playbook, and limited reps for a lower-round rookie could complicate his short-term outlook.

Appearing on ESPN Cleveland radio, Q Myers predicted that Sanders starting was just a matter of time—though he acknowledged Flacco would likely open the season under center.

“It’s going to be tough because he’s a fifth-round pick, and reps are going to be very limited,” Myers said. “But I think he’s going to end up earning the job.”

Ultimately, Myers believes the battle for the starting quarterback position is down to a two-man race between the rookies.

“I think it really boils down to who has more juice—Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders,” he said. “And I think it’s Shedeur. I’ve thought that since day one.”

Yet, the question remains whether Sanders is a late-round project who needs time, or a draft-day steal with the talent and toughness to contribute right away.

The Browns’ front office now faces a pivotal decision about what serves both the team—and Sanders—best in the long run.

For now, all eyes will be on Browns minicamp where the quarterback pecking order should begin to take shape.

Whether Shedeur Sanders starts the season under center or not, the Browns’ quarterback situation remains one of the most compelling storylines in the NFL—and the former Colorado Buffaloes legendary quarterback is right in the thick of it.