The Browns dropped their season opener to the Bengals. While that stung, the bigger storyline is what’s happening on the sidelines. Shedeur Sanders is just… waiting. No snaps, no clear future, just sitting there in Cleveland with trade rumors swirling around Berea. Because even if Joe Flacco goes down, whether it’s an injury or just flat-out bad play, it’s Dillon Gabriel who gets the nod. Not Shedeur.

That naturally raises the question: What’s Shedeur supposed to do here? How does he break through the noise and actually work his way into being QB1? Well, the NFL legend, Tyvis Powell, seems to have an answer. “Shedeur just got to continue to grind,” Powell said. “Right now, he’s quarterback three, so that means he’s probably handling scout team responsibility.

“Him and Bailey Zappe is probably splitting time on the scout team right now, and he’s trying to get better in that aspect as far as being able to see it, get the ball out quickly, and make the throws.” The grind is something, or maybe the only thing, Shedeur can do right now. He’s done it throughout the offseason and the preseason, except for the final exhibition game. The QB completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 win over the Panthers, before going down to an oblique injury.

So yeah, the Colorado product just got to continue the grind. Because it might sound dramatic, but Shedeur isn’t exactly getting prime reps in practice. Because, as Powell observed, the rookie is probably splitting time on the scout team right now. The actual twist, though? Word floating around is that most of his throws aren’t even going to wideouts. In fact, they’re landing in the hands of equipment guys. “Shedeur Sanders apparently is throwing not to receivers but to equipment guys,” ESPN’s Aaron Goldhammer said.

“They have got equipment guys snapping him the ball and then also running the routes. Mahomes is throwing to Kelce, Shedeur is throwing to equipment guys.” The writing is on the wall: Shedeur’s not sitting behind Flacco as the next man up. Right now, he’s stuck on the scout team, splitting reps with Zappe, and when those dry up, he’s basically left tossing balls with the equipment staff.

But Deion Sanders thinks Shedeur Sanders is a “solidified” QB

Just like the Browns, Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes also found themselves under a quarterback drama in Week 2. Turns out, Coach Prime wasn’t about to stick to just one QB. He rolled out all three signal callers and made sure they saw the field. Kaidon Salter kicked things off. But Ryan Staub got under the center in the second quarter. And yes, Julian Lewis also saw some useful snaps. That naturally raised the question: Who’ll start next week?

Well, Sanders didn’t confirm it. “I’m not confirming any of y’all know that,” he said on September 9. “We aren’t like that; we’re good. We have capable guys. Staub has been doing a phenomenal job and getting the majority of the reps, but I haven’t made that assessment and decision yet.” Sure, the Buffs won the game against Delaware, but the debate around Coach Prime’s strategy to use all QBs is palpable. One reporter wasn’t sugarcoating it.

He straight-up asked Sanders how it feels not having a solidified QB. Deion fired back, “We play quarterbacks every week. What does a solidified quarterback look like?” The reporter’s response? Something Deion wanted to hear. “Shedeur Sanders,” the reporter replied. Without any doubt, Shedeur’s dad agreed with the reporter’s statement. “That’s what I thought too. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for that setup.”

There’s no doubt that Shedeur was a solidified QB at Colorado. But it’s the NFL we’re talking about. Right now, nobody really knows if he’ll even see the field as a rookie. In fact, there’s more buzz about the Browns pulling off a trade than there is about Shedeur ever getting that first start in Cleveland.