The Cleveland Browns aren’t the only team in the NFL with a quarterback competition brewing, but they have more eyes on theirs due to the presence of Shedeur Sanders. They knew this would be the case when they drafted him, but doing so in the fifth round made the reward outweigh the risk.
Given his draft capital and three quarterbacks being technically ahead of him on the roster, Sanders doesn’t have much of a chance to be Cleveland’s starter come Week 1. Kenny Pickett appears to be in line for that, but there are big question marks with all of Pickett, Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. Sanders could benefit from that.
Shedeur Sanders could start games in 2025 to sell tickets for Browns
In fact, he might benefit so much that he may end up starting more games this season than any of them. At least, that’s what A to Z Sports writer Destin Adams believes could very well happen in 2025.
“I think he has more upside than Gabriel and is worth betting on as a potential long-term starter, whereas I see Gabriel as a career backup. Secondly, I think the Browns are going to struggle this season, no matter who is under center, and Sanders will sell tickets and get fans excited, no matter if they win or lose.“
Gabriel was drafted ahead of Sanders by two rounds, so theoretically the third rounder would be ahead in the pecking order. But like Adams says, Gabriel profiles more as a backup due to his stature and limited arm talent.
Adams’ point about Sanders bringing in fans is one that hasn’t been talked about enough. For a team that will likely struggle to win games, putting Sanders behind center could in theory sell more tickets. If the team is out of contention for the playoffs, that could lead to a call from above.
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