The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition just got a lot more interesting. Kenny Pickett, who the team acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, suffered a hamstring injury, which will sideline him early on in training camp. On paper, this could open the door for quarterbacks on the roster who may not have had a chance at winning the QB1 job if Pickett was still competing. Shedeur Sanders fits that bill.
However, it doesn't seem like Sanders has a shot at winning the starter's job at all.
The Athletic's Zac Jackson noted in an article about the quarterback competition that he feels there is "zero urgency" from the team to treat Sanders as more than a developmental quarterback. This evaluation comes after Jackson gave Sanders or fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel a five percent chance of winning the quarterback competition.
"It’s impossible to know much of anything at this point, so I certainly wouldn’t try to predict anything beyond that," writes Jackson. "I feel zero urgency from the folks in charge to treat Sanders as anything but a talented, developmental-type prospect, and I truly believe the team is open to multiple scenarios — internally and externally — depending on how things go in August."
Browns reporter feels team has 'zero urgency' to give Shedeur Sanders a shot at QB1
Speaking of the percentages of each candidate to win the Browns' quarterback competition, Jackson gave Joe Flacco a 75-percent chance of winning, while Pickett has a 20 percent chance.
While Browns fans and Sanders fans want the rookie to get a shot at winning the competition, there is a reality they must face. Yes, Sanders was viewed as a top prospect in the eyes of fans and media personalities, but that wasn't shared by NFL teams. Sanders went from a first round prospect to a quarterback selected 144th overall in the fifth round. Reasons for Sanders' fall stemmed from a variety of reasons, whether it was a lack of throwing power or lack of preparations in team meetings.
Things can obviously change throughout the preseason. Maybe Sanders, or even Gabriel for that matter, could raise his stock with some strong showings in preseason games. However, with the team obviously looking to win, it makes sense for them to go with a veteran to start the season. That could be Flacco, who has thrived in the Kevin Stefanski offense before, throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns on a 60.3 completion percentage, while holding a 4-1 record in five starts in 2023. His play helped lead the Browns to the playoffs.
Things can obviously change, but even with Pickett sidelined with injury, Sanders' odds of winning the starter's job are slim.