By Editor,James Cohen

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Shedeur Sanders speaks on fresh NFL agony at Cleveland Browns despite rival QB Joe Flacco getting traded

READ MORE: College football star leaves hospital after being shot in the head

By JAMES COHEN, SPORTS REPORTER

Published: 21:51 BST, 9 October 2025 | Updated: 21:52 BST, 9 October 2025

Shedeur Sanders has broken his silence over his latest NFL setback after the Browns refused to promote him to backup quarterback – despite trading Joe Flacco.

Flacco began the 2025 season as the Browns’ starter, only to be dropped in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel ahead of last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

The 40-year-old was then traded to Cincinnati to the ‘surprise’ of head coach Kevin Stefanski. That left Gabriel as the starter and Sanders as the only other quarterback listed on the Browns depth chart.

But ahead of this week’s clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Stefanski refused to confirm that Sanders will move up to QB 2.

However, despite Stefanski’s comments, Sanders has bizarrely insisted that he does still see ‘a light at the end of the tunnel’ in regard to his NFL nightmare.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said: ‘I’m in a great mental space overall.

Shedeur Sanders has spoken out after the Browns refused to confirm if he will move up to QB 2

Head coach Kevin Stefanski remained tight-lipped over whether Sanders will be promoted

‘So I would say you tend to get a little bit more excited when you see a light at the end of the tunnel, for sure. Whatever my role is here, I’m thankful. I’m happy just to do that.’

The son of NFL legend Deion Sanders was selected by the Browns after an embarrassing slide to the fifth round of this year’s draft.

He has been inactive for Cleveland’s first five games, serving as the emergency quarterback. But it’s possible that Bailey Zappe could be activated from the practice squad to play behind Gabriel.

Sanders continued: ‘We’re going to make sure we do everything we can to make sure Dillon’s ready for the game. Whatever that means.

‘Each and every day, even when Joe was the starter, preparing the right way and be ready to know that you could get out there at any point in time.

‘I’m overly confident within myself. I know when I first got here, I’m ready to play, but it’s up to the coaches and whatever decision they make then, I’m fine with.’

Gabriel showed poise in his debut last week in London against Minnesota. The rookie is the 41st different quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999.

But Sanders is likely to start at some point this season as the Browns (1-4) try to end a decades-long search for a franchise QB.

Dillon Gabriel is the new starter, with Sanders the only other QB listed on their depth chart

Joe Flacco began the 2025 season as the Browns’ starter before being traded to the Bengals

There is a vocal segment of Cleveland’s fan base clamoring to see if Sanders, who has a strong arm and social media presence, can be that guy.

Stefanski said the move to send the 40-year-old Flacco to a division rival caught him off guard.

The Browns re-signed Flacco, who led them on a playoff run in 2023, as a free agent in this offseason and had him start four games before benching him.

‘That was not something that we saw coming,’ Stefanski said. ‘They called us and it happened very fast.’

Cleveland Browns

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Shedeur Sanders speaks on fresh NFL agony at Cleveland Browns despite rival QB Joe Flacco getting traded

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