The Browns‘ training camp turned chaotic Monday morning as what started as routine practice updates spiraled into wholesale roster upheaval. Cleveland returned to their Berea facility riding high from Shedeur Sanders’ breakout preseason performance, with rookies Mason Graham and Carson Schwesinger also earning praise from coaches. But Luke Floriea had been the camp’s biggest surprise story. The undrafted receiver was turning heads with spectacular catches, including a jaw-dropping one-handed grab during scramble drills with Sanders throwing on the run. His momentum looked unstoppable until Kevin Stefanski delivered ominous news about Floriea’s hamstring injury — and what happened next caught everyone off guard.

The injury update that raised immediate red flags around the facility was just the beginning. Kevin Stefanski’s tone suggested something more serious than initially expected, but nobody anticipated the avalanche of roster moves that followed. The first casualty was the receiver who’s been making highlight catches all camp, Floriea himself. Now a victim of Cleveland’s brutal roster math, his waiver designation with an injury tag shocked teammates who had watched him dominate practice sessions throughout the week.

And the coaching staff didn’t stop there. Monday brought a total of five roster transactions that reshaped Cleveland’s depth chart — the Browns signed two cornerbacks to bolster their secondary depth, and Christian Holmes joined from the free-agent pool, bringing three years of NFL experience from his time with Washington. The Oklahoma State product had appeared in 30 games with the Commanders after being drafted in the seventh round in 2022.

Darius Rush also signed with Cleveland, adding another layer to the defensive backfield. The South Carolina alum spent his rookie season bouncing between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, appearing in five games total. Originally selected by the Colts in the fifth round of 2023, Rush gets a fresh start in Cleveland’s defensive scheme. The signings came with corresponding roster casualties that hit harder than expected. Beyond Floriea’s injury designation, the Browns also parted ways with tackle Roy Mbaeteka. The offensive lineman’s release created additional roster flexibility as Cleveland continued reshaping their depth chart.

The final transaction involved designating Kilian Zierer as the team’s international player. This move reflected the constant roster juggling that defines training camp, but it also signaled deeper strategic thinking from the front office. The Monday roster chaos created uncertainty heading into joint practices with Philadelphia. Floriea’s injury and the corresponding moves forced Cleveland to reevaluate its depth chart entirely. What started as a celebration of weekend performances ended with five transactions that nobody saw coming, all while Kevin Stefanski kept his quarterback plans centered around Shedeur Sanders.

Shedeur Sanders’ statement game leaves Browns coach playing coy.

Two touchdown passes against Carolina turned Shedeur Sanders from an afterthought to headline maker overnight. The 144th draft pick torched the Panthers’ defense, earning props from LeBron James and Dawn Staley while forcing Cleveland’s coaching staff into uncomfortable conversations about their depth chart. The fourth-string quarterback just outplayed three guys ahead of him, but Stefanski wasn’t ready to shake up his pecking order yet. “We need to get through the next couple of days from an injury standpoint and see where everybody is,” Stefanski told reporters when pressed about Sanders’ promotion chances. That non-committal response spoke volumes about the awkward position Sanders created with his breakout performance. Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel all watched from the sidelines as the rookie stole their thunder against Carolina.

Mary Kay Cabot captured the coaching staff’s uncertainty perfectly in her social media update about Sanders’ unclear status moving forward. “#Browns Kevin Stefanski wasn’t ready to say if Shedeur Sanders will start Sat vs. the #Eagles. Also, won’t share plans for QB reps in the joint practices.” Stefanski praised Sanders’ operation while identifying areas for improvement, walking the diplomatic tightrope every coach faces when a low-draft pick outperforms higher investments. “I’m focused on all of our quarterbacks’ development and every single one of these reps last night, how important they are. So, that’s what I’m focused on more than anything.”

The coach acknowledged Sanders’ strong fundamentals while hinting at perfectionist standards that apply regardless of draft position. “We have a standard for that position and every position, but certainly the quarterback position. There’s a standard by which we play and how we play and how we operate and how we take care of the football and those types of things,” Stefanski said. “There are things that Shedeur can clean up; he will clean up. But, by and large, I thought the operation was really good, and that’s important when you have different guys in there.” Sanders used his moment to settle scores with critics, confronting ESPN’s Tony Grossi in a sarcastic but harmless exchange captured by his brother’s camera. The interaction revealed Sanders’ confidence after proving doubters wrong about his character concerns and draft slide. Sanders’ meteoric rise from fourth-string to franchise conversation starter proves that preseason breakouts can rewrite entire organizational plans in a single night.