When rookie Dillon Gabriel put up 10 points in Cleveland’s preseason finale against the LA Rams, HC Kevin Stefanski saw the solution to his four-man QB problem. The realization soon dawned on him: “Really, for Dillon, it goes back to the spring.” But it also meant that all the hard work put up during the day and the sleepless nights spent learning offensive schemes by another rookie QB was cast aside, or rather, reduced to a third-string, emergency QB role. If anything, his consecutive 30 points in the preseason game against Carolina earned him a spot on the roster, and with a little bit of luck going in his favor, Kenny Pickett was traded away to hand Shedeur Sanders a bump-up.

Regardless of all that has happened, a loyal friend of his father and an NFL legend, Shannon Sharpe, has a special message for the 23-year-old. On Tuesday’s episode of his podcast Nightcap, Sharpe advised Sanders, “The scout team offense, that’s your opportunity. That’s when you show what you can do. That’s when you don’t go through the motions. You take it seriously. They tell you where to go with the ball, you go through your progression, and get the ball where it needs to go. But, in the meantime, you get in that playbook and when your opportunity presents itself, you take full advantage of it.”

Sharpe’s point was simple—prove your worth where it counts, even if it’s not in the spotlight. And it’s not something Sanders hasn’t already been doing.

In OTAs and training camp, Sanders had revealed he would stay up late at night learning the offensive schemes to keep himself ahead. Even though he would only get to practice with the third and fourth units, he would make sure to give it his best shot. When he was benched in the final couple of minutes against the Rams for Tyler Huntley, he took it to his chin. Knowing his five sacks on six attempts and no points were not good enough, he remained positive to learn from the outing. Sharpe’s co-host Chad Johnson echoed the thought.

He added, “And the funny thing, the good thing for Shedeur, as well as Dillon Gabriel as well, is when you take the scout team reps, hey, you’re going against the number one defense. So, it’s mental reps plus physical reps, but it’s against the best players. Similar to what you would see on a Sunday. So, it ain’t going to be no walk in the park, man.” Sharpe agreed, underlining the growth that comes from that grind.

Interestingly, veteran Joe Flacco offered a dose of perspective for Sanders’ rough night. “That’s part of being a rookie. You’re going to get thrown into situations that maybe you don’t think are ideal. It’s part of what makes a football player, is learning how to deal with those situations and learn from them.” So while Sanders didn’t steal the spotlight on Saturday, he might have gained something more valuable—a reminder that rookie struggles are part of the journey.

Even insider Albert Breer highlighted the same during the preseason weeks, saying, “At this point, they would feel more comfortable putting Dillon Gabriel in a regular-season game than they would Shedeur Sanders. That doesn’t mean that can’t change.” In fact, everyone seems to believe that this is not the dead end for the Colorado alum.

Julian Edelman feels Shedeur Sanders has done enough

Even though Stefanski has clarified why Gabriel got the QB2 position, not everyone is ready to let Sanders slide into the shadows. Former Patriots wideout Julian Edelman has gone on record saying the rookie has already proved himself, especially after tumbling down the NFL Draft board. Edelman didn’t mince words when praising Sanders’ debut. On his Games with Names podcast, he went as far as calling him the preseason MVP, shouting, “It’s gotta be Shedeur.”

Not only that, Edelman doubled down on just how significant Sanders’ performance really was. “You can say what you want. Whatever you thought before that game, that game was a huge game for [Shedeur Sanders.] I don’t care what anyone says… He went out there and played f**king pretty good, he played pretty damn good… He had a form of execution that looked like a competent football team, and when was the last time we saw that in Cleveland?” Edelman’s passion made it clear—Sanders did more than just survive his first NFL snaps, he gave hope.

Finally, Edelman wrapped his take with a pointed message for Gabriel. “Dillion Gabriel, you better get your a– healthy.” For a fan base itching for the future, those words hint that Sanders may be closer to a regular-season nod than anyone expected. If Edelman’s instincts prove right, the Dawg Pound might witness Sanders take over sooner rather than later.