Why former NFL QB does not see Sanders starting this season

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Why former NFL QB does not see Shedeur Sanders starting this season

By Colby Colwell | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 2:53 PM ET

The Cleveland Browns have had an unusual quarterback battle all offseason.

While veteran Joe Flacco was recently announced as the team's Week 1 starter against the Cincinnati Bengals, trade acquisition Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders were all in the running for some playing time.

With the preseason in the books and a lackluster Week 3 performance against the Los Angeles Rams (3-of-6, 14 yards) from Sanders, former Detroit Lions QB and current ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky does not see the fifth-round pick making a start this season.

"I don't think he's gonna start unless Joe Flacco falls flat on his face and gets hurt. And then, I think Dillon Gabriel should be the No. 2 quarterback unless he falls flat on his face and/or gets hurt," Orlovsky said on Monday's edition of "First Take." "And then, what they do with Kenny Pickett, I would imagine they have him as the third and Shedeur as like that fourth that they're trying to develop. Unless someone gets hurt or there's just complete disaster performance-wise from the other three, I don't think he gets on the field."

.@danorlovsky7 doesn't believe Shedeur Sanders will start this season. pic.twitter.com/vK5lmY5TvH
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 25, 2025

Sanders showed some flashes in his preseason debut against the Panthers, accounting for two first-half TDs in a 30-10 win. He suffered an oblique injury during training camp in the lead-up to the Week 2 preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the preseason finale against the Rams, Sanders struggled and was sacked five times. For comparison, Gabriel was 12-of-19 for 129 yards and one TD.

That certainly did nothing to move Sanders up the depth chart. If Gabriel's performance is any indication, he very well could be the backup QB to Flacco, with Pickett and Sanders slotting in behind those two.

There is no doubt that Sanders has the potential to be a starting QB in the right situation. However, as a recent report suggested, Sanders comes from "a basic offense at Jackson State and Colorado," in which "he rarely huddled," and that could make the transition to the NFL a difficult one at first as he learns the system.

He may be mired deep on the QB depth chart, but that could serve him well as he gets accustomed to a much different environment in the NFL.

Time will tell, but it appears that Sanders has some work to do as he begins his NFL career for a Browns organization that is still in search of finding its franchise QB.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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