The Cleveland Browns’ offense has been sputtering lately, and if things kept trending that way, backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders might’ve had a real shot to step in for Kevin Stefanski’s group. But then came the back injury. The timing wasn’t ideal, though the bye week did give him some breathing room. He has an update for us.

“I was doing treatment,” he said on an Instagram reel, posted by “welloffforever.” The reel showed him getting treatment on a private jet, no less. He seemed to be in good spirits, which is at least an encouraging sign for the Browns.

The rookie was ruled inactive last Saturday with a back issue. He tried to go through a brief pregame workout before the matchup with New England, but the team decided to hold him out. On Monday, head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that Sanders is “still dealing with the back injury but getting better,” according to Daniel Oyefusi.

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As of Monday afternoon, Cleveland hadn’t made any call on Sanders’ status for next Sunday’s game against the Jets. Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who has started the last four games, is expected to stay under center for now.

Gabriel has had a rough stretch: 1-3 as a starter, completing just under 60% of his passes for 702 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions over six appearances. His QBR sits at 26.8, which ranks 31st in the league, ahead of only Titans‘ Cam Ward (23.7).

Gabriel will be backed up this week by Bailey Zappe, who’s made nine career starts and at least brings some experience to the room. As for Shedeur Sanders, he’ll be hoping his back cooperates soon enough to get him ready for Baltimore the following week. Because if Gabriel can’t deliver against a struggling 1-7 Jets team, Stefanski might finally run out of patience.

If the Browns come out of this week with another loss, the conversation could shift quickly. Sanders’ first NFL start might not be far off. And with the tweaks Stefanski has made to his offense, it feels like the right time to see something different.

Kevin Stefanski’s play-calling change

If not for the Browns’ defense, there’s a good chance this team wouldn’t have a win to its name right now. They are 30th in points per game (15.8), 31st in total offense (279.1 yards), 30th in passing (189.6), and 28th in rushing (89.5). It’s been rough.

Something had to change, whether that meant shaking up the quarterback situation or tweaking the play-calling. Kevin Stefanski chose the latter. On Monday, Stefanski announced he’s handing over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

It’s a big step for Rees, who’s in his first season as an NFL offensive coordinator. Before joining Cleveland, he ran offenses at Alabama and Notre Dame, then spent last year with the Browns as a pass game specialist and tight ends coach.

“I think Tommy’s going to be himself, and that’s what I’m asking him to do. I’ll be there every step of the way to help him in any way I can, like you should with any play-caller. But the bottom line is, he understands what we need to do, which is to stay on the field and score some points,” Stefanski said.

This isn’t the first time Stefanski has made an in-season switch. Last year, when the Browns started 1–6, he turned the headset over to Ken Dorsey. The team finished 3–14, and Dorsey didn’t return. Rees now gets his turn, and he’ll need to make the most of it.

Tommy Rees needs to make sure that he finishes with a better record. No better time to snatch up the 3rd win than this week against the Jets.