It started with a muffed punt on Friday night, August 8, at Bank of America Stadium. Shedeur Sanders started the offense for the Cleveland Browns against the Carolina Panthers. After the Panthers scored a TD to take a lead in the first quarter, the Browns scored 30 consecutive points. The rookie QB ended his 30-10 NFL preseason debut win with 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards with two first-half TD passes to Kaden Davis. He also picked 19 rushing yards on four attempts before being replaced late in the third quarter. And just like that, he burst the narratives around his late draft pick and training camp reps.

Kenny Pickett and Gabriel Dillon were sidelined with injuries and Joe Flacco was not being put in the field by the HC Kevin Stefanski. Later, early Wednesday morning, the team announced Sanders as their possible starter again. However, before the preseason week 2 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Wednesday training brought more grim news. While throwing in the practice, Sanders strained his oblique and was put on the day-to-day list. On Thursday, he wore the uniform but stayed out. And so, Stefanski had to make a quick QB call.

On Saturday, the Browns took the field at Lincoln Financial Field to warm up for their second preseason clash. For the Browns, Stenfanski announced Dillon Gabriel will be under center against the defending Super Bowl champions. The rookie, who was sidelined previously with hamstring tightness heading into Week 1, was back in 11-on-11s by August 11.

But while Gabriel pushes forward, Shedeur Sanders won’t be. Cleveland is not taking a risk to put him out on the field yet. Kevin Stefanski, while talking about Sanders’ injury, said, “When it’s a quarterback, you kind of need that muscle to throw. So, unfortunately, going to put him down for a little bit here. We’ll treat it day to day and see how he responds. But want to be smart because he’s a thrower, so you can’t push that thing.” 

Sanders’ absence only sharpens the spotlight on Gabriel. The Browns gave him real first-team snaps, but that didn’t last long either. By the end of joint practices with Philly, the whispers had turned. Tony Pauline added: “Sources at practice tell me it seems as though Gabriel is purposely looking to leave the pocket, despite the design of the play, and that’s not a good thing.”

Update: On Saturday afternoon, Gabriel completed 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards and a pick-6 against the Eagles for a 22-13 win. Next, the Browns will host the LA Rams and hope for Shedeur to return to full health by next week.

With injuries piling up in the QB room to the point that Stefanski had to sign QB Tyler Huntley for backup proves the emergency. The Browns need a steady hand. Right now, Gabriel still looks uncertain. And Shedeur? Don’t count on him. At least not yet.

Shedeur Sanders’ injury shakes up Browns’ QB plans

Social media was buzzing after Shedeur Sanders lit up the Panthers in the preseason opener. For a moment, it looked like his spot in Week 2 was locked down. Even Kevin Stefanski hinted at it, saying, “Yeah, I guess if those guys could not play, yes, and we’re working through that.” The plan was clear: the Browns wanted their young QBs out there, getting real reps. But football’s cruel twist showed up early. Shedeur’s now dealing with an oblique injury.

That swings the spotlight back to Dillon Gabriel. Stefanski didn’t sugarcoat it—if Shedeur’s out, Gabriel’s in. “Again, the plan was always to give both of those guys a start in the preseason, so we’ll see how it shakes out,” the coach explained. But here’s the catch: Gabriel’s been nursing his hamstring issue. The Browns’ QB room feels like a revolving door right now, and the Eagles game will test just how ready Gabriel is to step into that pressure.

Gabriel, for his part, isn’t pretending he knows the script. “I have no clue what’s going to happen. I’m just right where my feet are. Time will tell, and we’ll see what happens. But it’s up to the coaches,” he admitted. Still, the fact that he’s been back in 11-on-11 drills since Monday is a good sign.

Unless his hamstring flares up, expect Gabriel to line up as QB1 in place of Shedeur Sanders. As for Shedeur? The Browns can only hope his recovery is quicker than expected, because one preseason flash isn’t enough.