The Cleveland Browns have spent most of this season trying to figure out who should lead their offense, and the answer may finally be settling into place.
What started as a rotation of options has shifted into something much more defined, and Shedeur Sanders suddenly finds himself with a wide opening to prove he belongs under center beyond these next few weeks.
Sanders has already experienced a small version of the NFL roller coaster. He won his first start, then ran into a far tougher challenge the next week when the San Francisco 49ers overwhelmed Cleveland in a blowout.
Kevin Stefanski did not waver. The coach named Sanders the starter again for the Week 14 matchup with the Tennessee Titans, and nothing about the team’s internal discussions suggests that decision is temporary.
“I don’t think you’re going to see Dillon Gabriel on the field [again] this season, unless Shedeur has to come out of the game for one reason or another…I think that it’s going to be Shedeur the rest of the way, because I think they do see something in him. And they want to know, do they need to draft a quarterback in April?” Cleveland.com‘s Mary Kay Cabot told 92.3 The Fan.
A winding quarterback path leads to Sanders’ moment
Cleveland’s season began with a plan that already feels distant. The Browns handed the ball to Joe Flacco, hoping his experience might stabilize the offense long enough for the younger QBs to develop at a manageable pace.
Instead, Flacco‘s four starts produced little momentum, and the team moved him to the Cincinnati Bengals, who were scrambling for help after Joe Burrow‘s turf toe injury.
The next chapter went to Dillon Gabriel. He started six straight games and showed flashes but never found the consistency the Browns needed.
His 1-5 record, along with seven touchdowns and two interceptions, reflected a player still adjusting to NFL speed. The concussion he suffered in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens brought his run to an abrupt halt.
Sanders waited behind both quarterbacks while fans debated whether Stefanski had been too cautious with the rookie. That debate can linger all it wants; the situation is now in Sanders‘ hands.
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