The Cleveland Browns just can’t catch a break at quarterback this season. One of the biggest questions coming in was whether rookie fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders would get his shot to start.

But now, things have taken another turn. A post on X revealed that “#Browns Shedeur Sanders will be listed as questionable with a back injury for the #Patriots game, and Bailey Zappe will be elevated off the practice squad.”

According to Mary Kay Cabot, Sanders’ back tightened up after the team’s Week 8 prep, forcing the Browns to call up Bailey Zappe. This is Sanders’ third injury setback. Whether Sanders suits up on Sunday depends on how he feels during warmups, meaning his status might not be known until right before kickoff. If he can’t go, Zappe will back up Gabriel.

That leaves Gabriel as the starter once again, marking his fourth start of the season when the Browns face the New England Patriots this Sunday. Through seven games, the Browns have already rolled with two different starters. Joe Flacco from Weeks 1 to 4 and third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel from Weeks 5 to 7.

The 24-year-old quarterback, Gabriel, notched his first career win last week. He led the Browns to a commanding 31-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Through five games (three starts), the rookie has completed nearly 60% of his passes for 546 yards. He threw three touchdowns and no interceptions. Quite a solid start for the third-round pick.

Ahead of Sunday’s matchup, the Browns elevated defensive tackle Sam Kamara and quarterback Bailey Zappe from the practice squad.  Kamara, standing 6 feet tall and weighing 272 pounds, enters his third NFL season out of Stony Brook. After starting his career with the Chicago Bears in 2021, he’s appeared in 22 games overall. It includes 14 with the Browns since 2022. He’ll continue to wear No. 92.

As for Zappe, the 6-foot-1 quarterback out of Western Kentucky is in his fourth season. Drafted by the Patriots in 2022, he’s played in 15 career games with nine starts. Zappe spent last season in Cleveland, where he started one game, and will suit up again in No. 11 this week.

The Browns have already made a few eyebrow-raising moves this season. Trading veteran Joe Flacco to the division rival

Bengals was one of them. But even that shake-up couldn’t hide the team’s struggles. They’re sitting at 2-5, and things aren’t clicking.

Shedeur Sanders trade rumors heat up

During ESPN Cleveland’s The Really Big Show on Friday, longtime Browns insider Tony Grossi dropped an interesting take. When asked if head coach Kevin Stefanski would trade Sanders before the deadline if given full control, Grossi didn’t hesitate, “I would say true.” He clarified that Stefanski doesn’t dislike Sanders personally but just doesn’t see him as a “quarterback of value.”

That’s a bold statement considering how closely the Browns’ rookie QBs have been watched this season. Gabriel has thrown for 546 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and a near 60% completion rate in three starts. Sanders, meanwhile, hasn’t seen the field in regular-season action yet but was recently promoted to the backup role.

Sanders came into the league with plenty of buzz after throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in college while leading the Big 12 in completion percentage. But in Cleveland, he hasn’t gotten enough first-team reps to prove himself. Now, his name has been linked to potential deals for wide receivers, including Jets star Garrett Wilson.

While general manager Andrew Berry insists drafting both Gabriel and Sanders was “what’s best for the team,” there’s talk that team owner Jimmy Haslam had a hand in Sanders’ selection. Stefanski, meanwhile, admitted that moving Flacco “was not something we saw coming” and now finds himself managing another quarterback shake-up.

If Sanders is traded before the November 4 deadline, Bailey Zappe could be called up as backup, especially with Deshaun Watson (Achilles) expected to return after the Week 9 bye.

Whether Cleveland decides to keep Sanders as a long-term project or flip him for immediate help, this decision will reveal a lot. Is Kevin Stefanski trying to build for the future, or just fighting to save the season?

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