Shedeur Sanders’ fall on the Cleveland Browns’ QB depth chart has been fairly sharp, and the more you look at the developments, the more it becomes clear how much further he is from where many expected him to be. His slide isn’t just about missing the starter spot — it’s about the positioning of trust, reps, opportunity, expectations, and perception. I’ll walk through how far he has fallen, what contributed to it, and what this might mean for his path forward.
After a stellar college career, especially in his final season at Colorado (lots of yards, high completion percentage, good touchdown‑to‑interception ratio), many analysts had him projected to go high — some even in the first round. ) What actually happened in the draft contrasted sharply: he slid until the fifth round, where the Browns picked him 144th overall. That draft fall set the tone: even before he put on a Browns jersey, questions had been raised about his readiness and whether some teams were concerned about traits beyond pure statistics. Expectations were high, but his draft slot placed him in a more developmental, lower‐leverage spot from day one.
Fast forward to training camp and OTAs: the QB competition in Cleveland is crowded. Joe Flacco, a seasoned NFL veteran, holds the top spot; Dillon Gabriel, also a rookie but picked earlier than Sanders; Kenny Pickett, another experienced pro in the mix. Sanders has consistently been behind all of them. Early in camp, in most reports, he was clearly fourth, often functioning with 3rd‑ or 4th‑string units, getting fewer reps, less exposure, especially with the ones Multiple sources explicitly describe Sanders as “fourth QB” in the depth chart behind Flacco, Pickett, and Gabriel.
Even when Gabriel or Pickett were injured or limited, Sanders’ elevation was modest; he got some more reps, but not enough to meaningfully challenge the ones ahead. (Sportscasting | Pure Sports) When he made his NFL preseason debut (the first preseason game), he did fairly well: 14 completions on 23 attempts, 138 yards, two touchdowns, plus some rushing yards. But even that performance didn’t immediately change the pecking order. (Diario AS)
At times Sanders has been described as the “emergency third quarterback,” meaning in game‑day activations or roster designations, he’s not in the core starter/backup role but backup to the backup, so to speak. (New York Post) That is, even though some players ahead have injuries, those ahead of him remain ahead, in terms of trust and reps, especially with first‑team offense. (ClutchPoints)
Part of the fall is also about how internal perception and coaching staff evaluation seem to have placed value on things other than pure raw college production. Sanders has been described as having fewer reps with the starters. He hasn’t been first out of the huddle in most of the 11‑on‑11 work, which is often a strong indicator of where coaches believe a QB is for readiness. (The SportsRush) There are also critiques (from analysts like Cam Newton) about his pocket presence and body language under pressure. Terms like “doesn’t step up in the pocket” or holding onto the ball too long, or seemingly reacting visibly when things break down, are being used. Those sorts of traits matter a lot at the NFL level and seem to be part of why he hasn’t leapfrogged others. (The Times of India)
So: how far fallen? Compared to being a likely early pick, perhaps a backup or even starter sooner than later, he is now seeing himself as fourth on the depth chart, largely in a developmental role, with minimal reps with starters, somewhat limited preseason game exposure, and being “behind the rope” in terms of opportunities for trust. He is significantly behind in the pecking order — not just behind more experienced quarterbacks, but behind another rookie (Gabriel) who presumably is viewed as more ready or more invested in by the organization.
This matters because depth chart position isn’t just about swagger or ego; it translates into real opportunities (reps, snaps, practice reps, trust, coaching attention, film review reps, decision making in games). The farther someone is down, the less margin for error they have before they risk being cut, being discarded, or being truly buried. As much as the hype is nice, what matters is whether he can start out‑impressing in camp, preseason games, or in practice in ways that force coaches to move him upward.
That said, his position isn’t irredeemable. Some positives: his college production was very strong: high completion percentage, good touchdown/interception numbers, solid leadership reputation. (Wikipedia) The Cleveland coaching staff has expressed some “pleasure” at his development, even when not shifting him up the depth chart. After his preseason showing, coach Kevin Stefanski said he was pleased with how he played. (ClutchPoints) Also, external interest remains high — his jersey sales are strong, media attention is large. That doesn’t guarantee success, but it means expectations remain, and the platform is there. (New York Post)
Also, some roster moves have slightly opened opportunities. For example, the Browns traded Kenny Pickett, which shores up one spot above him; but that still leaves others ahead. That trade theoretically makes room, but “ahead” doesn’t always mean “trusted” in terms of game reps.
What his slide implies is that Sanders is being treated as more of a project. The organization seems cautious. They want to see how he handles mistakes, pressure, his decision‑making, and his ability to learn in the NFL environment — presumably less forgiving, faster, more complex — before they entrust him with more. He will probably spend much of his rookie season learning, absorbing, doing scout team, special packages, mop‑ups, maybe get a chance if injuries strike or in garbage time, but not with immediate pressure to perform as starter. His path to being starter will almost certainly be multi‑year, unless something dramatic happens (major injury ahead of him, or he forcefully outplays in preseason).
So to sum up: Sanders has fallen from early‑round pick expectations and starter/backup viability to a much more marginal position: fourth on the QB depth chart, limited reps, an emergency quarterback role rather than real backup, still behind both veterans and at least one rookie, and likely to see limited real game action in 2025 unless unusual circumstances arise. The drop has been steep in perception, if not yet insurmountable. How he responds—both in given opportunities and in how he practices, handles criticism, seizes reps—will largely determine whether this fall becomes a permanent setback or just a hard chapter in a longer climb. If you want, I can compare what scouts originally expected vs. how he’s looked in the Browns system so far to see whether the fall seems justified or more about opportunity mismatch.
