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Shedeur Sanders' Official Depth Chart Placement Sparks Reaction

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 4:04 PM ET

Shedeur Sanders will get a chance to showcase his skillset on Saturday when the Cleveland Browns face the Los Angeles Rams. However, fans won't be happy with where he sits on the depth chart.

During the Browns' preseason opener, Sanders completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards with two touchdowns in a win over the Carolina Panthers. He was unable to suit up for last week's showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles due to an oblique strain. It didn't keep him out for long though.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Thursday that Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will all play against the Rams. As of now, Sanders is third in the pecking order.

“We’ll play our starters in the game, depends on how the game flow goes, but between 20 to 25 plays,” Stefanski said when asked about his preseason plan. “There will be some guys that get out of there a little bit sooner than others. But it’s really an individualized plan for each guy. But you will see the starters out there.”

Even though Sanders is the third-string quarterback for Saturday's game, he's technically fourth on the depth chart. Kenny Pickett is also ahead of him. He's still recovering from a hamstring injury.

NFL fans aren't happy with Cleveland's depth chart.

"There’s nothing Shedeur Sanders himself can do to move up the depth chart. Browns fans who believe Shedeur has the potential to be the future will have to wait until Dillon Gabriel gets his opportunity first.

"This is hopefully the same situation for week 1. Just gotta find a taker for Pickett and then let Joe lead the boys to start the year while the rookies continue to learn and battle each other for who gets first dibs when that time comes.

"The fact that Shedeur is third on the depth chart is not my primary concern. What I find troubling is that, since OTAs, the Browns have disingenuously marketed this as a "competition," effectively asking the fanbase to disregard clear evidence to the contrary.

"So is this his way of saying Gabriel will be the backup? I can’t understand why they can’t see that Sanders is the better QB as far as play and personality.

Fans might not be happy with Sanders sitting behind Flacco, Pickett and Gabriel, but the reality is Cleveland has more money invested in them.

Besides, the Browns are still going to keep Sanders on their roster. They know if he hits waivers he'd get claimed immediately by a quarterback-needy team.

If Sanders is meant to be Cleveland's franchise quarterback, he'll eventually get his chance to start. To be quite honest, we expect him to considering Flacco is simply a bridge quarterback at this stage in his career.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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