At every turn, they’ve written him off. Coming out of high school, they said he was just Deion Sanders’ son. With Jackson State, they called him soft. In Colorado, they said he’ll get exposed to elite defenses. His response. He threw 13,000 yards in high school. Won Freshman of the Year at Jackson State. Broke the single game passing record in his first game with Colorado, at the end of which his father appeared in the interview area singing “I’ve got receipts,” just so that he could point his finger at the doubters and ask them one single question. “Do you believe now?”

People will say that Deion is Shedeur Sanders‘ biggest cheerleader. And they will be absolutely right in saying so. But nobody can argue that Coach Prime hasn’t pushed him to get better. Put him in situations where expectations are high. At the NFL combine, Deion said, “Pressure is a privilege,” and Shedeur has been through a chamber of pressure. After all, he’s in a 4-way standoff with Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett, and Joe Flacco. There have been a hundred debates about who will be QB1 for the Browns. And the time has come for this chapter to close… Or at least that’s what the Dawg Pound is hoping for: to get a closure!

Mary Kay Cabot from Cleveland.com believes that the preseason will reveal who will be the starting QB for week 1. “By the time the Browns practice against the Eagles on Aug. 13 and 14, it will be easier to see which way the Browns are leaning.” Shedeur Sanders will likely see game time during this fixture with Dillon Gabriel. “Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will likely split that game, probably in that order, and they can both gain some ground in the competition. I just think it needs to end sooner than later to get the starter ready to play.”

The preseason matches will uncover the rookies’ capability in a pressure environment. While Shedeur has already faced pressure from being in the spotlight, how well he can manage to do it on the field will tell us whether he’s reliable or not. He needs a “Do you believe now?” moment, to catch the HC’s attention ahead of the regular season. By the end of the Philly game, Stefanski will probably have all the data to choose his starting QB.

After all, he’s not just getting data from the preseason, but also from their performance in the training camp that’ll start soon. The weeks ahead will be a crucial one for Shedeur. A break or deal moment. If he can perform at a high level, from the training camp to the preseason games, he’ll be a sure bet for Stefanski’s roster.

Competing against a fellow rookie and two veterans, he will have to show that he can stand on top. While Shedeur is confident, posting on Instagram, saying that “It’s time to be legendary,” he will have to show it, like he’s done so far, to gain Stefanski’s trust. As Shedeur moves to solidify his position in the race to QB1, the question that remains is. What will happen to the others?

Shedeur Sanders makes his move. Is it checkmate for Dillon?

While Dillan hasn’t been in the spotlight much compared to his counterpart. He is also a heavy favourite in the Browns’ QB Locker room. Being picked 2 rounds earlier than Shedeur, Stefanski clearly saw something in Gabriel. It even got him to have more 11-on-11s during OTAs and minicamps compared to Shedeur. But the battle isn’t just between the two of them; they have two veterans to compete with as well: Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

According to Mary, “Kenny Pickett still has a slight edge in terms of being No. 1 on the depth chart heading into training camp.” Kenny did get a championship ring with the Eagles last year as the backup QB after all. He was effective whenever Jalen Hurts needed relief. Whether he will be effective as a starter is something we’ll have to wait and see. But if Kenny is QB1, the rookies will be the backup for him.

Mary believes that the two rookies will make the 53, and one of the two veterans might have to sit out. If Kenny is her number 1, that puts Shedeur and Dillon in the backup position. Joe Flacco, the one left out. Flacco is coming from a bad season with the Colts last year, compared to his run the year before with the Browns. The table below summarizes his production over the past two years.

If Stefanski doesn’t believe he can make a comeback this season, it is likely that Kenny will be QB1. Dillon will have to prove he’s a more reliable option than Kenny Pickett if he wants the starting job. Until then, he’ll only play as backup. “His superpower in the competition is his computer-like processing speed and decision-making,” Mary said. “During spring practices, including rookie minicamp, organized team activities, and mandatory minicamp, Gabriel looked solid and held his own.” Gabriel went 48-of-83, throwing eight touchdowns in the OTAs and minicamp combined. If the traits that Mary described can be translated into the preseason games, and then the league. We might actually see Dillon Gabriel as a starting Quarterback.