The Cleveland Browns’ preseason matchup against the Carolina Panthers on Friday night just may be the most anticipated preseason game in NFL history.
The Browns announced earlier this week that quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel will not play, leaving rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders and recently signed veteran Tyler Huntley, who signed with the Browns just three days ago but has 14 NFL starts and a Pro Bowl under his belt, as the only QBs available.
During an appearance on “SportsCenter” Friday afternoon, ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi reported that Sanders will see a pretty significant workload.
“You should expect to see a lot of Shedeur Sanders tonight,” Oyefusi reported. “He’s going to get about 50 plays, so well into the second half before Tyler Huntley takes over. Now Sanders has received zero first-team reps — he’s gotten the fewest reps of that four-man group when everyone has been healthy — but the Browns are resting their starters.
“So, Sanders is going to be out there with the second- and third-team offense that he’s practiced with throughout camp.”
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Sanders, who’s mostly practiced with Cleveland’s second- and third-string players, will get the start Friday night. Hours before he’s set to make his NFL debut, Sanders sent a clear message to his fans and doubters on his Instagram page.
The 23-year-old signal-caller posted a black-and-white photo of himself under center during practice along with 50 Cent’s hit song “If I Can’t” playing in the background.
The lyrics to the song start off: “If I can’t do it, homie, it can’t be done,” leading many to believe that the former Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year is feeling supremely confident heading into his first start in a game that’s expected to draw a lot of eyeballs.
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With his three direct competitors all sitting out for Friday’s game, Sanders has an opportunity to not only make a statement (some believe Cleveland’s QB competition is really a three-player race) but to also gain some valuable reps that he hasn’t gotten by virtue of being fourth on the depth chart.
A strong performance against the Panthers could do wonders for Sanders’ chances of making the Browns’ 53-man roster out of camp.
“Looking bit-picture at this competition, head coach Kevin Stefanski said he’s hopeful that Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel can return from their injuries in time for joint practices with the Eagles next week,” Oyefusi added. “Stefanski said he’s looking to make a decision on QB1 sooner rather than later, so next week should be pretty pivotal.”
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