Fourth-string NFL quarterbacks are low on the totem pole when it comes to practice reps and development opportunities, and it doesn't figure to be any different for Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders.
For all of the media attention that has been paid to Sanders this summer, the rookie's actual impact on the upcoming NFL season figures to be minimal. In fact, he's unlikely to sniff the field in 2025, according to a story written by Jason Lloyd in The Athletic.
"If Sanders spends the next few months making gains in the film room and learning to process a complex offense, the payoff could be substantial," Lloyd writes. "However, another college quarterback class is about to form, and time is not on Sanders’ side. He remains in purgatory — enough potential to make you want to see more, but not enough reps to get there."
This should come as no surprise to those who are familiar with the expected trajectory of NFL fifth-round picks. Sanders remains fourth on the Browns depth chart at QB, behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel will likely be the most significant roadblock to playing time for Sanders, since he was drafted two rounds ahead of Sanders, and seems to have earned more trust during training camp.
"It’s clear by now that the Browns trust Gabriel more than they do Sanders," Lloyd writes. "The division of practice reps is the most unambiguous indication, but it even shines through in what each has been asked to do in limited preseason opportunities."
If the Browns' play-calling is any indication, it seems Gabriel has grasped more of the playbook in his rookie training camp. During preseason games, the Browns offensive staff asked more of Gabriel at the line of scrimmage in terms of pre-snap movement.
"The Browns used pre-snap motion 45 percent of the time with Gabriel against the Philadelphia Eagles; they used it 31 percent of the time in Sanders’ game against the Carolina Panthers, according to TruMedia data," Lloyd writes. "On third downs, that increased to 63 percent for Gabriel and plummeted to 18 percent for Sanders."
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