Browns remain uncommitted on Shedeur Sanders despite Joe Flacco exit

Shedeur Sanders’s place on the Cleveland Browns remains in question despite the team trading Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this week. Sanders had been expected to compete with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel and Flacco for the starting quarterback job this season. But despite Gabriel and Sanders being the only two quarterbacks on the Browns’ active roster after Flacco’s exit, Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski on Wednesday said he would “let the week play out [and] make a decision later” on whether Sanders will be the team’s No 2 quarterback behind Gabriel, who made his first NFL start last week. Bailey Zappe, who has been a member of the Browns practice squad, could be activated and serve as Gabriel’s backup. Related: The draft roughed up Shedeur Sanders. The NFL will demand even more “All roster type of things, I always have to be mindful of our players and our players’ development,” Stefanski said. “And I want to make sure that I’m always doing what’s best for our players and, of course, our team. But with young players, I’m always thinking about – last week, making the change to Dillon, you have to think long and hard about that, because these are young players that you are so invested in their development. So, I’ll let the decision play out [and] make a decision later.” Sanders had been the No 3 quarterback on the Browns roster before Flacco’s departure. Sanders, the son of hall of famer Deion Sanders, generated huge amounts of attention when he dropped to the fifth round of this year’s draft after many thought he would go in the first two. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns in two preseason games but the Browns have shown no indication they intend to start him. “I wouldn’t say there’s one thing you need to see [from Sanders to start him],” Stefanski said. “In my role, I have to do what’s best for our players, our team, and I’m very, very invested in our player development, our young players’ development, our quarterback development. So, any decision I make, I want to just make sure that I’m doing what’s right for our players.” Sanders has come under criticism for talking about his role with the Browns in recent weeks. “If you see the [quality of] quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that,” Sanders told ESPN Cleveland last month. When asked about the Browns’ quarterback situation last week, Sanders repeatedly answered by grinning then silently moving his mouth in response. A member of the Browns staff then cut the interview short. Meanwhile, the Bengals say Flacco will start this weekend against the Green Bay Packers. The team started the season 2-0 but have fallen to 2-3 after their star player, Joe Burrow, suffered a toe injury that will put him out for at least three months.