NFL executive gives advice to Browns amid Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel situation

The 3-8 Cleveland Browns are sticking with rookie Shedeur Sanders as their QB1 for their home game against the 8-4 San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 30 after he helped the Browns earn a 24-10 win at the Las Vegas Raiders in his first regular-season start in Week 12. 

Sanders got the nod for the Raiders game because fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel was in the concussion protocol. Gabriel has since been cleared to return to action, but one unnamed rival executive believes the Browns should want to see what Sanders is and/or isn't through Week 18.

How long should Shedeur Sanders start over Dillon Gabriel?

"I would definitely play it out for a while and see what you have with him," the executive said of Sanders while speaking with Jeff Howe of The Athletic. 

Gabriel went 1-5 across six starts before he suffered a concussion during Cleveland's loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 16. According to Pro Football Reference, he began Tuesday ranked 31st in the NFL among qualified players with a 30.4 adjusted QBR and 30th with an 80.8 passer rating on the season. 

Against the Raiders, Sanders completed 11-of-20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception. As ESPN's Ben Solak noted, Sanders' performance at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium is a bit difficult to evaluate. He picked up 52 yards on a dime of a deep ball thrown to rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond in the game's first quarter. In the fourth quarter, rookie running back Dylan Sampson turned a short toss into a 66-yard score. 

That said, it's unknown what Sanders would've accomplished in the second quarter had receiver Jerry Jeudy not committed one of the worst turnovers of the season. 

"He looked fine, like he’s got a chance (to be a starter)," a different executive said about Sanders' play versus the Raiders. "He made a couple of nice plays and throws; he also had a few rookie mistakes."

NFL executive addresses Shedeur Sanders' personality

In the spring, much was said about how Sanders' alleged handling of the predraft process caused him to fall to the fifth round of the draft. More recently, he insisted before the Raiders game that he can be "the guy" for the Browns. Following the victory, he said that he knows "a lot of people want to see me fail, and that ain't going to happen." 

The first executive spotlighted in Howe's piece seemingly has no problem with Sanders' personality. 

"I like his confidence," the executive added. "It doesn’t turn me off at all."

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Cleveland as a 5.5-point underdog against the 49ers. Only time will tell if this Sunday becomes the last time that Sanders makes a start for the 2025 Browns.