Shedeur Sanders Projected To Start Against The Carolina Panthers In Preseason

BEREA, OHIO – JUNE 12: Quarterback Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns watches practice during organized team activities at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 12, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

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Due to injuries at the quarterback position and a granted rest day for its projected starting quarterback, the Cleveland Browns will unleash its fifth-round rookie prospect as its starting signal caller in the team’s first preseason game on Friday night.

Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Shedeur Sanders is expected to start at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in the team’s road tilt versus the Carolina Panthers this Friday night. The report was revealed by Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

“”Sanders, the Browns fourth-team quarterback who has yet to take a snap with the first-team offense, is expected to start the game, a league source tells cleveland.com,” Cabot wrote. “He’ll get the nod because Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel are both nursing hamstring injuries, and the Browns don’t want Joe Flacco, 40, playing in the preseason opener.”

Pickett and Gabriel each suffered hamstring injuries late last July that have kept them out of practice up until recently. Gabriel practiced in a limited capacity this Monday with what was reported as hamstring tightness. Pickett returned last Friday after being out of camp since July 26 but hasn’t partaken in team drills since.

Sanders was also out of practice as well due to a sore shoulder that held him out of Cleveland’s live team scrimmage last Sunday. He returned the following Monday a full participant.

As Cabot noted, Sanders has yet to take first-team reps with the Browns offense throughout camp and has primarily served as a throwing option for fringe roster guys. He did run with the second-team offense for the first time Monday and let loose a long touchdown bomb to favorite training camp target Gage Larvadain in 11-on-11 work.

Panthers head coach David Canales has voiced that his starters will play in the team’s first two preseason games to gear his squad up for the regular season. This means Sanders will get a nice portion of his opening reps against an NFL defense in his first unofficial NFL game.

The downside for the Colorado standout is that he’ll be getting playing time without the team’s starting offense on his side. Cabot revealed that Cleveland isn’t playing starting receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman and expects Sanders to get most of his run with the team’s backups and third stringers.

Due to the team’s quarterback injuries, the Browns signed veteran quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley yesterday to provide a backup quarterback option for its upcoming preseason game. One can expect both quarterbacks will get equal level playing time to show their abilities against NFL talent.