After an eventful NFL Draft and preseason, Shedeur Sanders has officially earned a spot on the Cleveland Browns.

According to ESPN,  the Browns traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders and released Tyler Huntley to make room for Sanders’ spot. The Browns will begin the regular season with Joe Flacco as a starter and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Sanders as the backups.  Although the placements have not been released by the Browns, Gabriel, who had a better preseason, is likely to be named QB2, leaving Sanders as QB3.

In his first preseason game, Sanders completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added 19 rushing yards, leading the Browns to win over the Carolina Panthers on August 8.

Slowing down his momentum, Sanders suffered an oblique strain while throwing on August 13 during joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles, causing him to miss the next game.

Returning from his injury, Sanders struggled in the final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams.. He completed only 3 of 6 passes for 14 yards and was sacked five times, being protected with a third and fourth-string offensive line that was later cut by the coaching staff.

Following the game, Sanders shared his dismay about not being out there for the final drive of a 19-17 win over the Rams, where Huntley led the team to a game-winning field goal. 

“In the battle of the moment, in the heat of the battle, you want to be that alpha,” Sanders said after the win. “You want to be that dog. You want to be out there in that final two-minute drive. So of course, small things, of course frustrate, but that’s what happens when you want to be a player to be able to change a franchise.”

The Browns open the season opener on Sunday, September 7, 2025, against the Cincinnati Bengals.