Shedeur Sanders has yet to take the field in the 2025 NFL season. The Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback was ruled out against the New England Patriots in Week 8, with Bailey Zappe taking his place as QB2 behind Dillon Gabriel.
Sanders was inactive due to a back injury after being added to the injury report on Saturday. With Sanders not even on the bench, Gabriel struggled to get things going against the Patriots.
The former Oregon star went 21 of 35 for 156 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions and one sack. While he found the end zone twice, fans still found ways to criticize Gabriel’s performance and call for Shedeur Sanders to replace him.
Browns reporter Brad Stainbrook shared on Monday that Sanders feels the same. After posting an Instagram post calling for the team to move on from Gabriel and start Sanders, the reporter shared a screenshot that showed Sanders liked the post.
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The Browns are 2-6 after losing to the Patriots, and many fans have lost patience with the coaching staff and their reluctance to give Sanders playing time. Their next matchup will be against the New York Jets, a team that won its first game of the season in Week 8.
Cleveland is in its bye week, which could change many things for Kevin Stefanski and Co. Sanders has made it clear he continues to work while he awaits an opportunity that hasn’t arrived yet.
Shaun King rips Dillon Gabriel, backs Shedeur Sanders as Browns starting QB
Calls mount on social media for the Browns to give an opportunity to Shedeur Sanders. Besides those calls from fans, former NFL quarterback Shaun King has added to the demands to start Sanders over Gabriel. During an appearance on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports show, King didn’t mince words.
“Maybe the most egregious pick in all of the 2025 Draft was the Browns picking Dillon Gabriel in the third round. There’s no way you can evaluate the quarterback position and have him rated as a higher prospect than Shedeur Sanders,” King said.
“That was a terrible draft pick. Now don’t accelerate the mistake by continuing down the path that you never should’ve went down in the first place. It’s time to go to Shedeur Sanders simply because he was a better prospect than Dillon Gabriel.”
The Browns are in a complex position, but time will tell if they will make changes to turn the season around or at least show a different face.