Browns not giving Shedeur starting reps behind Gabriel
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed that Shedeur Sanders isn't getting any first-team reps in practice the way fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel did as Joe Flacco's backup.
"With a young quarterback, with Dillon starting, you want to make sure he gets a lot of the reps," Stefanski said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "It's different when you have a veteran with Joe."
Stefanski added that Sanders is getting reps "in a bunch of periods." The 23-year-old has been spotted throwing on a separate area of the field before practices, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. He's also been spending extra time with Stefanski in the coach's office in the early morning, Myles Garrett said on a podcast.
Sanders has been Gabriel's understudy in the two games since Cleveland traded Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Colorado product served as the No. 3 quarterback through the first five games of the season prior to Flacco's departure. He split scout team reps with Gabriel and practice squad member Bailey Zappe before the trade.
Gabriel led the Browns to a 31-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday for his first career win as a starter. The 2025 third-round selection has passed for 546 yards and three touchdowns with a 59.8% completion rate this season.