- - Shedeur Sanders starting vs. Panthers: What to expect from Browns rookie QB

Jacob Camenker, USA TODAYAugust 8, 2025 at 5:30 PM

Shedeur Sanders has been the talk of the NFL since his dramatic slide in the 2025 NFL Draft landed him with the Cleveland Browns.

But now, fans are finally getting a chance to see the fifth-round rookie take the field for his new team.

Sanders is slated to start Cleveland's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. The fourth-string quarterback should get plenty of playing time given that the Browns are expected to be without several signal-callers for the game.

Here's what to expect from Sanders in his preseason debut.

What to expect from Shedeur Sanders in preseason debut

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday that Sanders would start Cleveland's preseason opener against the Panthers. He also revealed the quarterback would be one of just two players to see action at the position, alongside the recently signed Tyler "Snoop" Huntley.

"We’ll play Shedeur at quarterback," Stefanski told reporters. "We just signed Snoop Huntley, as you guys saw. We’ll get Snoop back up to speed quickly. He’s been in a couple of different offenses since we last saw him. So, he’s doing a great job of working at it. But it’s a great opportunity for all of our young players in that football game."

BROWNS QB DEPTH CHART: Cleveland adds Tyler Huntley in training camp

The Browns are set to be without the top three quarterbacks on their depth chart for Friday's game: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel. Pickett and Gabriel are both dealing with hamstring injuries while Cleveland didn't want to play the 40-year-old Flacco in the preseason opener.

Despite Cleveland's depleted quarterback room, Stefanski wouldn't say whether Sanders would get a majority of the reps at the position against the Panthers.

"We're gonna work through that," Stefanski told reporters Wednesday when asked how long Sanders might play in the preseason opener. "Again, Shedeur and Snoop would be the quarterbacks playing in this game, and Snoop just got off the airplane yesterday, so [we'll] catch him up."

Still, it stands to reason Sanders would see most of the action, provided the coaching staff isn't overly worried that the rookie missed a couple of days of practice with arm soreness before returning Monday.

While Sanders figures to play extensively, his action won't come with the starters. Stefanski revealed that starting wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman will not participate in the preseason contest, so Sanders will be playing with backup receivers and, presumably, a backup offensive line.

As such, it will be crucial for Sanders to demonstrate an ability to avoid sacks, turnovers and negative plays. If he can do that while showing off the accuracy and ball placement that led many to project him as a top-50 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the 23-year-old could position himself to make noise in Cleveland's wide-open quarterback competition.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to expect from Shedeur Sanders' Browns preseason debut

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL AOL Sports”