“They are doing everything they can to provide the fairest shot possible for him… I’ll take it to my grave.” Ken Carman has defended the Browns against talk of unfair treatment toward Shedeur Sanders. But the reality is, Sanders faces an uphill battle. Sitting fourth in a four-man quarterback competition, his path to even making the roster isn’t guaranteed. With limited reps in camp, the preseason games may be his only real shot to prove he belongs, and that clock is already ticking.

However, something felt off at Browns camp on Day 9. Reporters on the field noticed Shedeur wasn’t participating in team drills. In a quarterback competition this crowded, even brief absences raise red flags. The answer didn’t come until later, but by then, speculation had already started swirling. Cleveland.com’s trio, Dan Labbe, Mary Kay Cabot, and Ashley Bastock, were quick to point out the shift in reps and Sanders’ conspicuous silence…which is really worrisome in Berea.

“Browns back at practice here. Day nine of training camp, and we’ll start with Shedeur Sanders, who did not participate in any team drills today,” Labbe noted. “We were kind of standing there watching. We didn’t know what was going on. It all sort of became clearer after practice—but certainly an interesting development in this four-way quarterback competition.”

Cabot followed up: “It’s arm soreness. Not 100% certain if it’s the shoulder, but it was significant enough for him to mention it. That’s telling, because these guys know every rep counts. If you’re pulling yourself out, it’s bothering you. He’ll have an exam this afternoon—not an MRI yet, unless the first one calls for it. Suddenly, the four-man race is down to two. Kenny Pickett is still idle with a hamstring.”

That’s when the dominoes clicked. “We’re sitting there watching Joe Flacco take second-team reps—tons of them,” Labbe added. “That’s rare. Dillon Gabriel was also working with the first team. And the moment you noticed that imbalance, it became obvious: something’s up.” Bastock echoed that, saying, “When Flacco’s out there logging that many team reps—at this point in his career—that’s not normal. That’s when the whispers turned into certainty.”

After practice, it was confirmed: Sanders was sidelined with arm soreness. Not yet serious enough for scans, but serious enough to miss reps—and that’s the part that matters. When you’re a rookie in a four-man race, missing a day isn’t a pause. It’s a setback. Especially when others are stacking good tape. In Colorado, Sanders was the guy. In Cleveland, he’s just trying to stay in the conversation.

That, too, in a room with four quarterbacks and no declared starter, where every single rep counts…especially for a rookie buried in the fourth slot. Sanders can’t afford to lose ground. or Sanders, those snaps aren’t just practice; they’re auditions. With others already logging more work, even a minor injury carries heavy weight. He’s not just competing for snaps; he’s competing to stay number 1 in the race.

Shedeur Sanders isn’t blind to the uphill battle. In a recent sit-down with Browns legend Bernie Kosar, he admitted the transition has been tough. “Getting reps has been a challenge… A stark contrast to college,” Sanders said. In Colorado, he was the guy; now he’s fighting for space. He isn’t panicking, but there’s clear awareness in his voice. He knows how quickly momentum can slip. The soreness might be minor, but the worry (and urgency) is real.

The pick that wasn’t… Jimmy Haslam’s doubt clouds Shedeur Sanders’ path in Cleveland

Jimmy Haslam’s comment didn’t just undercut the rookie; it reignited doubts about Cleveland’s long-term vision. “That’s not happening,” the Browns owner said when asked what he would’ve thought had someone told him they’d be drafting Shedeur Sanders. It was a striking admission from a franchise executive during a quarterback competition still very much unsettled.

Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe didn’t mince words, calling it “dry snitching” and accusing Haslam of creating a distraction for no reason. Among the NF circles this frustration is a common theme… Where Sanders’ name has already been polarizing enough. Even Chad Johnson couldn’t help but call it out. “He’s never done this before,” Ocho said. And he’s right.

Despite overseeing a revolving door of 35 starting quarterbacks since 2000, Haslam has never distanced himself so publicly from a pick. That kind of scrutiny doesn’t just hover over a player—it follows him into every huddle, every rep. For Sanders, who’s already been limited in camp due to arm soreness and minimal first-team snaps, it’s one more hurdle stacked against an already uphill climb.

The injury isn’t expected to keep Sanders out long, but the timing couldn’t be worse. With preseason games fast approaching, this was his best shot to climb the depth chart. Analysts like Dan Orlovsky are still backing the rookies: “If I were Cleveland, I would be doing everything I could to have Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders as my starting quarterback.” But while Shedeur recovers, Gabriel’s stock rises. And with Kevin Stefanski praising Pickett’s experience, Sanders may find himself needing a near-perfect preseason to stay in the conversation.