CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rookie Shedeur Sanders will start Cleveland's preseason opener Friday night against the Carolina Panthers.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Tyler Huntley, who signed with team earlier this week, is also expected to play if he can get up to speed with the playbook. Joe Flacco, Cleveland's projected starting quarterback this season, is healthy but will not play. Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel will sit out while rehabbing from injuries, Stefanski said.
“My expectation for Shedeur
is no different than the rest of the guys,” Stefanski said prior to the team's joint practice with the Panthers. “I just expect him to go out and operate. When you get in these preseason games you try to keep it very simple so guys can play very fast. It's all concepts that these guys know and don't have to think too much about.”
Stefanski was initially coy during his news conference when asked directly if Sanders would start, saying “we're going to work through it. (Huntley) just got here yesterday and I want to see how he is doing with the terminology.”
However, the Browns communications staff confirmed later to The Associated Press that Sanders will start.
Pickett and Gabriel were scheduled to participate in 7-on-7 drills in practice, but not team drills.
The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Sanders fell to the fifth round of the NFL draft after winning the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award following his final season playing for his father Deion Sanders at Colorado. Sanders remains fourth on the Browns' depth chart, but injuries have increased his reps in practice. He took some reps with the second team in practice Wednesday.
Sanders has battled some recent shoulder soreness, but Stefanski said that is no longer an issue.
Sanders played two seasons at Jackson State before transferring to Colorado, where he played for two more seasons. He played in 50 games in college, completing 1,267 of 1,808 passes for 14,353 yards with 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He also ran for 17 touchdowns.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales previously said Bryce Young will start at quarterback against the Browns, a change from last year. The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick did not play in the first two preseason games last year and only saw action in one series in the preseason finale.
Canales cited having a “pretty young team,” saying he can't pass up the chance to get players some reps and develop some chemistry.
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