The Cleveland Browns will travel to London to face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. Earlier this week, it was revealed that head coach Kevin Stefanski had decided to bench veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. Instead, rookie Dillon Gabriel will take over the starting role.
For Shedeur Sanders, there was never even a hint that he might be next in line. The moment the news surfaced, the conversation reignited about whether he should already be playing or if his time has yet to come.
It is worth remembering Rex Ryan’s comments on Get Up, where he claimed he had information suggesting Shedeur was not putting in enough effort during practices to be considered for the starting job. Alongside that, predraft scouting reports indicated that Gabriel was viewed as a more complete player than Sanders, despite being undersized at 5-foot-11.
For now, Joe Flacco remains the designated backup in case anything happens to Gabriel, while Shedeur holds the third-string spot. Nothing has shifted in his favor.
Cowboys legend Michael Irvin weighs in
Michael Irvin, the Hall of Famer who once shared a locker room with Deion Sanders -Shedeur’s father- and remains close to the family, weighed in on the young quarterback’s current situation. In Irvin’s view, this may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
This made me think of my nephew Shedeur Sanders,” Irvin said while analyzing Mac Jones’ performance against the Rams on Thursday Night Football. “And I’m saying all of us talking about all of the situations that’s going on with Shedeur. The truth of it, maybe, this might be a sneaky blessing to have some time to learn and have some time to not have the pressure on him. Because what I see across the board with young quarterbacks in this league, they’re being destroyed early on as to play as a rookie.
Started as a rookie, starting and get in there right away, and then everything’s going so fast. Oh my, it messes with your head, messes with your mind, and then most importantly, it messes with your confidence.
Irvin compared the situation to Mac Jones, who crumbled under the pressure when he first entered the NFL. Although Jones has shown signs of growth with the San Francisco 49ers, the lesson, according to Irvin, is that too much too soon can be damaging.
Kevin Stefanski unmoved by online chatter
As for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, his position on the matter is clear. Joe Flacco is his backup, and he is not swayed by online campaigns calling for Shedeur.
Yeah, Joe’s the backup.
My focus is on the game. Joe is the backup.
With those words, Stefanski reaffirmed that his decisions are guided by what he believes is best for the team, not by public pressure or social media noise.
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