The Cleveland Browns have finally pulled the plug on Joe Flacco after the defeat to the Detroit Lions in week 4 sealed his fate. His numbers tell the story. 58.1% completions, just 2 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a QB impact score of 53.9. This is the poorest among the league.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, rookie QB Dillon Gabriel is likely to be called upon to fill in for Joe Flacco. But while Gabriel is next in line, the question around the Browns’ locker room is a bigger one: Why not Shedeur Sanders?

Can Gabriel bring stability to the Browns’ stumbling season this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in London? Well, the experts have something to say about this move. “We know Dillon Gabriel is the backup; he was the higher-drafted prospect, and everyone’s going to say they need to go to Dylan Gabriel next,” former NFL QB Robert Griffin III said.

“But I’m telling you guys. Shedeur Sanders is the one they need to go to. He is the quarterback that they need to start because he’s the one that’s going to provide a spark, a belief, a belief. The locker room believes in Shedeur Sanders.” 

Sanders is no ordinary fifth-round rookie. The son of Deion “Prime Time” Sanders came into the draft after throwing 37 touchdowns in his final year at Colorado. It was heard during the training camps and the preseason that Sanders appears to be the best QB. The Browns are in a state of rebuild, and the locker room is searching for leadership, swagger, and hope. That’s where Sanders covers all that in spades.

“If you look at quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that,” Sanders told ESPN Cleveland. His presence commands attention, and if they are searching for more than the moral victories, the answer is sitting right on the sideline.

Kevin Stefanski may also come under scrutiny

Back in August, when Browns HC Kevin Stefanski handed the keys of the Browns’ offense to Joe Flacco, it wasn’t shocking to many. Flacco was the only quarterback who was familiar with the “Stefanski system” after his 2023 stint. But it appears that the move has now backfired on Stefanski. Not only Flacco but Stefanski is also on the hot seat, and the heat is coming from not only the fans.

The mounting frustration from experts suggests that the real problem lies in the locker room. RG III weighed in again and said, “They have no confidence right now. When they walk out on the field, you can see it, their heads are down, they’re not playing with emotion, and that’s because their starting quarterback doesn’t instill the confidence in the locker room and the people on the field like Shedeur Sanders would.” 

According to him, the players need Shedeur Sanders to start, even if the coaching staff doesn’t. This pointed message towards Stefanski signals that the two-time NFL Coach of the Year for Cleveland can also come under scrutiny if the friction remains between the locker room and the coaching staff. If the locker room comes on the verge of collapse, this can be a final chapter for Stefanski.

Facing Brian Flores’s uncertain blitz is not a soft-landing spot for a rookie QB. The Vikings come in, allowing just 151.8 passing yards, the third lowest in the league. With Cleveland already short on wide receiver Cedric Tillman, dropping Shedeur Sanders as a surprise package is the Browns’ best option. His ability to improvise under pressure and extend plays gives Cleveland a fair fighting chance against a top-tier defense.