Shedeur Sanders injury threatens perfect opportunity to steal Browns QB job

UPDATE: Before practice on wednesday, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Shedeur Sanders could get the start on Saturday for their second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles if Dillon Gabriel or Kenny Pickett aren't cleared from injuries. This was a prime opportunity for Sanders to climb up the depth chart aftera strong showing against the Carolina Panthers.

But early during practice, Sanders was pulled after injuring his oblique. Sanders will be evaluated, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport raised the possibility of this injury preventing Sanders from playing in Saturday's game.

We'll see how serious Sanders injury is and if it will prevent him from playing in the team's second preseason game. For now, Browns fans are holding their breaths, waiting for updates.

ORIGINAL STORY: Cleveland Browns fans may get another chance to view quarterback Shedeur Sanders in full game action again. Head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated the fifth-round Colorado product will get the start Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles if their other passers Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett are not fit to play.

"Yeah, I guess if those guys could not play, yes, and we’re working through that," he told reporters Wednesday. "We were always going to play our young guys a lot in these games, so we’ll see how it shakes out here over the next couple of days."

When asked about whether he though Gabriel would be recovered enough from a hamstring issue to take any snaps on Saturday, Stefanski was tight lipped.

"Think we have to get through today and tomorrow before I know that for sure," he said.

The Browns currently six quarterbacks on their roster and half of them dealing with injuries (DeShaun Watson, Gabriel and Pickett). Sanders, Joe Flacco and Tyler Huntley are those available without restrictions at the moment.

Shedeur Sanders has another opportunity to prove he's the steal of the 2025 draft

Sanders shined in his preseason debut for the Browns. He got the bulk of snaps on Aug. 8 against the Carolina Panthers and he took advantage of every moment. His138 passing yards and two touchdowns helped lead the team to an impressive 30-10 victory.

Sure, it came against backups, and he wasn't asked to push the ball down the field all that much; all the normal preseason caveats apply. But Sanders' pocket management and accuracy had him looking far more polished than the typical fifth-round pick.

The Eagles defense will be a much more difficult test for him but if he can at least navigate their pass rush and limit mistakes, he may be one step closer to locking up the backup role after just two weeks.

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