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The NFL is a jungle. The best survive, and the rest are forgotten. The Cleveland Browns entered training camp with a wealth of options at quarterback. However, the coin has flipped since then. Cleveland is now scrambling for arms since Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel suffered injuries. It has even forced Stefanski to sign former Baltimore Ravens backup Tyler Huntley on Monday. However, Shedeur Sanders, currently sitting fourth on the QB depth chart, may see this as a window of opportunity.

Ahead of the preseason match on Friday against the Panthers, HC Stefanski had to make a drastic change.#Browns HC Kevin Stefanski: “We’ll rest some starters. We’ll play Shedeur at QB. We’ll get (Tyler Huntley) back up to speed. It’s a great opportunity for all of our young players,” reported 92.3 The Fan. With Gabriel, Pickett, and Flacco ruled out, only Shedeur and Tyler will suit up for Friday’s game.

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This unexpected change may be a difficult one for Sheduer. After all, he hasn’t had many reps with the first team, practicing with the second and third string more. So with the sudden push to start the game, it’s like being thrown into the deep end. But can he be picky now when handed a golden ticket? Just a few days ago, he was at the tail end of the chart, and now he has a chance to show what he can do. If he manages to impress, we can expect he’ll start more often.

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And Shedeur Sanders has shown his capabilities during camp before. Going against the first team defense with the backup offense is a challenging task, and that hasn’t fazed him.“Truthfully, I don’t care what O-line I go out there with. It could be ones, twos, threes, whatever the situation is. And I know Friday when the game is, if I’m with twos, if I’m with threes. It don’t matter to me. I’m just ready to get down and get to doing what I could,” he said. Sounds like a man on a mission. His performance on Friday may put the QB 1 contest to rest. Especially with the Browns facing an injury problem at the moment.

Good news for Shedeur Sanders, bad news for Pickett

With the others unavailable, Stefanski had no choice but to start Sanders on Friday. Kenny Pickett is one of those who were unavailable. His first soft tissue injury has left him sidelined and missing from the action during camp. “If you’re not out there, I think it’s a setback,” he said via a transcript from the team. Stefanski’s decision to sideline Pickett for Friday suggests his injury might be more serious than initially expected.

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Insider Daniel Oyefusi took to X, saying, “Browns QBs Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel won’t play in the preseason opener but will participate in 7-on-7s during joint practices today, per Kevin Stefanski.”If they’re back at practice, it’s likely he was held out of the Panthers game as a precaution, rather than due to severity.

Last Monday (July 28), Stefanski addressed concerns regarding Pickett’s health. “Felt something, so we’ll just treat it,” he said before training camp practice. “For any player, you’re disappointed when you can’t be out there with any injury, but he’ll be fine. He’ll rehab, he’ll get back out very quickly.” We can only hope it happens sooner rather than later. For now, the team seems content to play it safe, keeping him on a cautious track while monitoring his progress. Getting Pickett back to full strength could prove crucial for the team, not just for depth, but for momentum.

What’s your perspective on:

With Pickett and Gabriel out, is Stefanski's QB strategy a stroke of genius or desperation?

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"With Pickett and Gabriel out, is Stefanski's QB strategy a stroke of genius or desperation?"

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