Shedeur Sanders seems to have fallen further and further back on the Cleveland Browns’ depth chart in recent weeks, and one longtime radio host wonders why the team is even keeping the rookie quarterback on the roster.
During his ESPN Cleveland radio show on Thursday, Tony Rizzo reported that Sanders has been nothing more than a spectator at Browns practice ahead of the team’s Week 2 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Rizzo says Bailey Zappe has been running the scout team while Sanders is off to the side “watching everyone play.”
Rizzo then questioned why the Browns have not cut Sanders, whom they drafted in the fifth round.
“Why is he on the team? Why is he even here?” Rizzo asked. “If that’s what you think about him … because his jersey is selling? The Haslams don’t need jersey money, do they? No, they don’t. Why is he on the team if he’s not even running scout team.”
"I'm hearing Shedeur isn't even running scout team, he's literally watching everyone… why is he on the team, why is he here?," – @TheRealTRizzo on what he's hearing about Shedeur Sanders. pic.twitter.com/Mtx6bs0rZL
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 11, 2025
Browns QBs have been splitting scout-team reps
Browns quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave was asked on Friday whether Sanders has been running the scout team in practice. Musgrave said the team tries to give all of its backup quarterbacks an opportunity to do that.
“I’d say it’s a little bit different. It’s exciting because those guys do take pride in getting the defense ready,” Musgrave told reporters. “They want to do a good job of replicating the opponent’s offense and at the same time, they want to try to relate any play that they get to our game plan for that week too, so they can feel like they can get a little double duty.”
Browns QBs coach Bill Musgrave said the team has had all of its backup QBs run scout-team O.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 12, 2025
"I'd say it's a little bit different. It's exciting because those guys do take pride in getting the defense ready. They want to do a good job of replicating the opponent's offense and at…
Sanders was the talk of the NFL after his outstanding preseason debut, but things went downhill from there. He missed Cleveland’s second preseason game with an injury and did not play well in the third. He was then named the Browns’ No. 3 quarterback behind starter Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. Zappe was signed to the practice squad two weeks ago, and it sounds like he has surpassed Sanders as well.
As Rizzo mentioned, fans have been flocking to buy Sanders’ jersey. That in itself should not be enough of a reason for the team to keep him. In reality, the Browns believed enough in Sanders to use a fifth-round pick on him after they drafted Gabriel two rounds prior. They likely want to give the former Colorado star more time to develop, even if they feel he is coming along slowly.
