The Cleveland Browns just handed the Week 5 starting job to rookie Dillon Gabriel for their London matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. But that doesn’t mean Shedeur Sanders will slide in as his backup. Not so fast, as Kevin Stefanski is still sticking with Joe Flacco. Only this time, he will stand behind Gabriel.

“Joe Flacco will serve as Dillon Gabriel’s backup and Shedeur Sanders will remain Cleveland’s third-string QB,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. The Browns are going into a new game week with the same old narrative: Shedeur remains inactive for the Week 5 game and will be available for any emergencies. While this roster decision by the HC might not sit well with many, Deion Sanders‘ long-time friend and the Dallas Cowboys‘ legend, Michael Irvin, believes that Shedeur might actually benefit from not having to start just yet.

“This made me think of my nephew Shedeur Sanders,” Irvin said while analyzing Mac Jones‘ performance against the Rams on Thursday Night Football. “And I’m saying all of us talking about all of the situations that’s going on with Shedeur,” he added. “The truth of it, maybe, this might be a sneaky blessing to have some time to learn and have some time to not have the pressure on him. Because what I see across the board with young quarterbacks in this league, they’re being destroyed early on as to play as a rookie.

Started as a rookie, starting and get in there right away, and then everything’s going so fast. Oh my, it messes with your head, messes with your mind, and then most importantly, it messes with your confidence.” It’s the script we’ve seen before in this league. Not just once but numerous times. Take Jones, for instance.

The former first-rounder started for New England in his rookie season. While he still managed to lead the Patriots to the postseason (10-7 in regular season), sure. But after that? Everything went south. He put up 6-8 and 2-9 in the next two seasons, respectively, before being shipped to Jacksonville. Fast forward to now, and he just played one of the best games of his career.

While playing for the San Francisco 49ers against the Rams, Jones looked sharp, completing 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns, leading the team to a tight 26-23 win. Looking at Jones’ performance also highlights how different the rookie experience can be for quarterbacks today. For instance, Cam Ward has struggled to find his rhythm with the Tennessee Titans. His career isn’t ruined, of course. But starting out with four straight losses as a rookie QB is a tough way to begin.

But on the flip side, Jaxson Dart, who sat behind Russell Wilson for the first three games, actually found success in his first career start. Having said that, Irvin’s point looks clear now: Throwing a rookie straight into the starting role might not guarantee immediate success, but letting them learn behind a veteran probably can.

Now, coming to Shedeur Sanders’ situation, it kind of seems ugly in Cleveland with no clear future. But Irvin actually thinks this could work in Shedeur’s favor since he gets time to learn without all the pressure on his shoulders. For now, though, he’s sitting as the third-string while Gabriel runs the show under center.

Kevin Stefanski remains firm with Shedeur Sanders’ decision

A rookie starting for the Browns after the first few weeks was something foretold. The Browns couldn’t rely on Flacco and named Gabriel the QB1 for Week 5. Which naturally raised the next question: What’s the new role of Shedeur Sanders? Well, there is no new role in the first place.

After the news of Gabriel’s start went public, Stefanski was asked why Shedeur isn’t Gabriel’s backup. The head coach didn’t explain in detail and had a brief answer. “Yeah, Joe’s the backup,” Stefanski said. Fast forward to now, and the HC was yet again asked if there was any discussion about naming Shedeur QB2. Again, Stefanki didn’t elaborate. “My focus is on the game. Joe is the backup,” Stefanki said.

After a 1-3 start, where Flacco completed 58.1% of his passes for 815 yards, with two touchdowns and six interceptions, the Browns moved on to Gabriel. The Oregon Ducks product made the most of his limited chances in a few games. And now he’s stepping in as the guy running the show under center. As for Shedeur? As Stefanski puts it, Joe’s the backup. Shedeur’s the third-stringer.