Shedeur Sanders finally got his NFL shot on Sunday, and it didn’t exactly sparkle. The Browns fans rushed to defend him, pointing out that he hasn’t taken a single first-team rep since he arrived in Cleveland. But, as former quarterback Tim Hasselbeck reminded everyone, that’s the life of a backup, and Sanders is not an exception.

“What’s interesting about being the backup is, you don’t get any reps, but when you’re thrown in there, everyone wants you to play like a starter. The way it works is you only get so many plays in practice,” Hasselbeck said on the Dan Patrick Show.

“It might be 12 seven on seven reps, 14 team reps, and then by those, you know, you kind of section them out in terms of, you know, situational football. Will you give those to the guys that you’re expecting to be added, especially if it’s a relatively young player,” Hasselbeck added.

Sanders’ debut told the same story the box score did: 4-for-16, 47 yards, an interception, two sacks, and a 13.3 rating. Stefanski didn’t help matters afterward by acknowledging that Sanders still hasn’t taken any work with the ones. Fans took that and ran with the “Browns mismanagement” label, but Hasselbeck pushed back. This is the league’s standard operating procedure, he said.

“Really, the only time a backup would get any type of work at the quarterback position is if you know the starter is just, you know, in year 15 or 18. Other than that, the starter takes all the reps,” the former QB added.

Dillon Gabriel is Stefanski’s quarterback until further notice. He’s a rookie too, learning the same lessons Sanders is, and the limited practice snaps are naturally going to the guy the staff actually plans to play. Sanders was never going to get starter-style prep.

Hasselbeck made another point. The rough outing had more to do with Sanders’ decisions and pocket feel than his practice schedule. And that’s the part Sanders can control. He may get another shot as early as next week against the Raiders.

Shedeur Sanders expected to start vs the Raiders

The Browns are expected to roll with Shedeur Sanders on Sunday in Las Vegas, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, with Gabriel still in the concussion protocol after last week’s loss to Baltimore.

“Browns’ Shedeur Sanders is expected to start Sunday’s game in Las Vegas with Dillon Gabriel in the concussion protocol. Barring something unexpected, Sanders will make his starting debut, becoming the 42nd Browns starter since 1999,” she wrote on X.

Back in August, nobody saw this coming. Sanders opened the year buried on the depth chart. He was fourth string behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. It took Flacco and Pickett leaving town and Gabriel getting knocked out of a game for Sanders to even get on the field. Now, ready or not, he’s up next.

Fans have been waiting months to see him, even after it became clear that Kevin Stefanski wasn’t budging off Gabriel despite the mounting losses. But this isn’t some sudden change of heart from the head coach. It’s a necessity. This is simply the only card Stefanski has left to play.

Sanders’ window is small, maybe one week, maybe a little longer, depending on Gabriel’s recovery. If he wants to convince the staff he deserves more than a cameo, it starts with delivering against a Raiders defense that’s been giving up 24.4 points per game.