The Cleveland Browns are sitting at 1-2. Most figured this year would be the kind where you give your young quarterbacks chances to learn on the fly. That spotlight was supposed to shine on rookie Dillon Gabriel and, of course, Shedeur Sanders. The catch? Joe Flacco remains QB1, with Gabriel already sneaking in some garbage-time reps. Meanwhile, Shedeur has been inactive through the first three games as the Browns’ designated emergency QB.

Coming out of Colorado, Shedeur was hyped as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. Instead, he slid all the way to the fifth round, where Cleveland scooped him up at pick No. 144. There have been so many scouts claiming he is not NFL-ready, yet others, like his own father, Deion Sanders, can see the apparent. When you have a surname of Sanders, hype and popularity appear to take different directions. When Cleveland Browns beat reporter Tony Grossi was questioned about the early career of Shedeur Sanders, he laid it out bare.

“He never met a camera he didn’t like, and it just seems like being out of the limelight right now, as QB3 on a Cleveland Browns team struggling to score points, he’s really missing the viral moments,” he said.“I laugh about it because I don’t take him too seriously anymore. I’m sorry, after that Rams game, I need evidence that he could play. All the pro-Shedeur fans, and they’re passionate about their favorite player, they think something like that is going on. They cannot believe there are players on the team at his position that are better than him. They just won’t accept it.” Grossi continued.

That Rams game he referenced wasn’t pretty. Sanders wrapped up his preseason with a brutal outing—five sacks, just 3-of-6 completions, and 14 yards total. From the start of training camp through the end of August, head coach Kevin Stefanski never once hinted at bumping Sanders ahead of Joe Flacco or Dillon Gabriel.

And he isn’t wrong about the passion. Sanders was one of the most decorated college players. The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, owner of single-season Colorado records for passing yards (4,134) and touchdowns (37), and the most accurate passer in FBS history with a 71.8% career completion rate.

Grossi tied the skepticism back to Sanders’ support. “Just like his dad, he doesn’t believe Flacco and Gabriel can play better than his son.”

That’s where the narrative gets complicated. Joe Flacco is 40 and ranks 28th in the NFL with a 37.5 quarterback rating. The Browns haven’t scored more than 17 points in a game this year, not even in their lone win. A 13-10 grind-out over Green Bay came off defensive grit, not quarterback fireworks. If the offense doesn’t improve, Cleveland will eventually have to hand the keys to a rookie.

Deion Sanders stands firm as Shedeur waits for his turn

For now, Gabriel is next in line. Gabriel, taken two rounds before Sanders in the 2025 draft, put together a stronger preseason. 25-of-37 passing (67.6%) for 272 yards, a touchdown, and just two sacks. Sanders, by contrast, went 17-of-29 (58.6%) for 152 yards, two touchdowns, and seven sacks. The numbers alone told the story of the depth chart. But Sanders hasn’t been shy about believing his time is closer than the depth chart suggests.

“I know if you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that,” Sanders told ESPN Cleveland this week. He quickly added, “I know it’s not God’s plan right now… I’m a believer in that. So I don’t stress or feel bad that I’m in the situation I’m in right now, but it’s just funny to me and I enjoy it.”

Regardless of being listed as QB3, Sanders insists his mindset doesn’t waver. “Just because where I am on the depth chart, I don’t let that dictate my mindset each and every day, because you don’t know what could happen. I know if you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that. Some things happen for a reason, and I’m a true believer in that.” So though Gabriel is primed to get the first crack when Flacco is bound to drag or get battered, the fifth-rounder is patiently waiting for his turn. In the meantime, the Shedeur Sanders debate continues with both critics, such as Grossi, and supporters, such as Deion.