Sep 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) warms up before the game between the Browns and the Green Bay Packers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders provides encouraging update on his development with Browns' scout team

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Nick Pedone | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 12:50 PM ET

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is third on the team’s depth chart, but he’s not complaining about it.

In an exclusive interview with Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Sanders, who the Browns drafted with the No. 144 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was all smiles while explaining his development running scout team at practice.

“I look at it as, I have six games a week,” Sanders said. “I’m happy rather than just having one game a week on the weekends.”

Sanders said the scout team consisting of himself, backup quarterback Dillon Gabriel and practice squad QB Bailey Zappe along with their receivers treat every single practice as if it were a real game.

“I truly believe in the receivers we have on the scout team,” Sanders said. “They’re really explosive and really great, they just need that opportunity.”

Sanders also explained that going against the talented Browns defensive line while running the scout team is making him better.

“Being able to go against the d-line every day is good because it helps me work on different things every day,” Sanders said.

#Browns QB Shedeur Sanders on going against the likes of Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward when he gets show team reps: pic.twitter.com/0ZMsXZB2Ol
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 21, 2025

Namely, Sanders mentioned it’s helped him tighten up his drop, not getting too deep in the pocket. He also mentioned that he’s been able to work on being able to get through reads quickly as well as just getting comfortable within the team’s offensive structure.

After a dramatic draft slide, Sanders exploded onto the scene with the Browns in their first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. His two touchdown passes left everybody feeling inspired. But that feeling wasn’t long lasting.

Sanders was unable to play in Cleveland’s second preseason game due to an oblique injury. Instead, Gabriel, who the Browns selected 50 slots ahead of Sanders, made his debut in that game and played well. In the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams, Gabriel was also able to cleanly move the ball. Meanwhile, Sanders was sacked and ultimately benched, proving that there was development needed.

That's why these developments are so encouraging. While his draft slide remains somewhat of a mystery, the one big red flag on Sanders was that he takes a lot of sacks. According to the former Colorado quarterback, he's working through those issues every single day.

When the Browns traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders for a fifth-round pick, Sanders became a virtual roster lock. He’s serving as the team’s emergency third quarterback, inactive on game days but could step in if starting quarterback Joe Flacco and Gabriel both went down.

While Flacco has struggled to recreate the magic from 2023 in Cleveland’s first two games, some signs point to Gabriel getting an opportunity to play soon. That would pave the way for Sanders to be one snap away, despite currently being the fifth-round, scout team quarterback.

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

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