Browns' Shedeur Sanders addresses missing practice with arm soreness

Eyebrows were raised when it was learned that Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders was held out of Saturday's training-camp practice due to arm soreness.

Sanders returned to practice on Monday and noted he was "thankful" to be able to resume on-the-field work. He also said that experiencing such discomfort is nothing new for him. 

"Yeah, in college, it was often," Sanders explained, as shared by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. "It’s just adjusting to starting and stopping, honestly. That’s all it truly is. Sometimes you go in hot. Then, you’ll wait for a second and then get cold. Then, get back hot and then get cold. My arm and body wasn’t used to that. It’s just an adjustment within my body, within my arm."

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski hasn't hidden that Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round draft pick, has been the team's fourth-choice option at the position behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and 2025 third-rounder Dillon Gabriel. All signs are reportedly pointing to Flacco starting Cleveland's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. Meanwhile, at least one Browns reporter believes that Gabriel, who is listed at 5-foot-11, is "just not a good quarterback" heading into Cleveland's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on August 8. 

It remains to be seen if Sanders will be an active participant in Cleveland's joint practice with Carolina on Wednesday. Logic suggests that Stefanski will want Gabriel and Sanders to see plenty of action versus the Panthers on Aug. 8 as long as the first-year pros are healthy that evening. 

"I think every rep I get in general is valuable," Sanders added during his comments. "We’re definitely taking things up a notch, I would say, with everything. Every rep. Anytime I step on the field, I take it like it could be my last. You don’t know. There were players we were practicing with last week that’s not here no more. It’s more about a bond. It’s more about going all out. It’s more about how you’ll be remembered."

As of Monday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Flacco as the betting favorite at -245 odds to serve as Cleveland's Week 1 QB1. To compare, Sanders was a massive +2000 betting underdog to win the starting job this month. 

For an article published on Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated mentioned that "it’s been apparent to those watching that Flacco’s got the best command over the offense" during camp. It certainly sounds like Sanders will spend at least a portion of the fall as an backup.