Shedeur Sanders arrived in Cleveland with name recognition, pedigree, and the pressure that comes with both but the young quarterback has already been forced into a far less glamorous role. One that speaks volumes about where he currently stands in the Browns‘ hierarchy.
In what was meant to be a symbolic start to his professional career, the 23-year-old found himself behind the camera, not behind the snap at the team’s youth football camp.
“Shedeur was on the other side of the camera at our youth camp,” the Browns posted to social media with a photo of the star working the job, before later following up with, “Shedeur took the camera.”
A role that might seem light-hearted or PR-friendly in isolation takes on new meaning given the intense competition within the team-and the larger questions surrounding his future but the Colorado Buffaloes graduate doesn’t see it that way.
“It’s just something I genuinely do,” Sanders said of the moment. “And what I find fun.
“Where I find my peace, my happiness, my joy is to be able to have a positive influence on the youth.”
Sanders unsure of who will lead Browns in 2025/26 NFL season
But while Shedeur was finding peace at a youth camp, the Browns were entering a potentially turbulent quarterback situation-and he may be at the center of it, whether he’s ready or not.
Currently, the Browns are carrying four quarterbacks into the preseason: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders. All four are still under contract but with limited preseason reps to go around and a quarterback room already crowded, one might be cut before the season.
Asked whether he knew who would start between him and Flacco, Sanders gave a candid answer by saying he doesn’t know, and the same certainty hangs over Pickett, who was recently traded from Philadelphia and is already on his third team since 2022.
Reports from Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot confirmed that the Browns will not pick up Pickett‘s fifth-year option-an implicit signal that they’re not committing to him long-term as roster efficiency becomes a priority.
Rumors already point to a potential exit for Pickett, and that would reshape the competition by giving Sanders clearer path to taking snaps in practice and gaining experience in preseason games as he contends to be the starter.
The Browns are in no rush. Sanders and Gabriel are under team control through 2028, giving Cleveland time to see if either can evolve into a future starter before they have to think about letting one go.
The attention will be centered on which player will best lead the team throughout the 2025/26 NFL season with Deshaun Watson out injured, opening the door to any of Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders to take over.
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