The Cleveland Browns plan to start rookie Shedeur Sanders at quarterback against the Carolina Panthers on Friday, August 8, for the team's preseason opener.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Sanders competed for the Browns' starting quarterback spot along with Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett.  Tyler Huntley, a former Pro Bowler, was signed by the team this week.

While Flaco, the team’s starting quarterback, is not healthy due to hamstring injuries Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders have moved up the depth chart for the time being.

Last week, Sanders told reporters that he doesn't want his father, Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, to come to training camp until he feels he’s ready.

“I don't want him coming to see me right now because I want to get to where I want to go, then for him to see me," Sanders told reporters at training camp. "I don't want him to come and see me get a couple reps, and he is cheering like a good dad. Like, nah, you can't be proud of me right now. I got to get to where I'm going, and I know it's a lot I got to do to get there.”

“It's kind of like I just want everything that I'm doing is just focus on this time, and I don't want no distractions because we know how the media, we know how everybody would take it and take away from the team, just from him being my own dad showing up,” Sanders continued. “So, it is a gift and a curse at the same time.”

Considered to be a first-round draft pick and one of the first quarterbacks selected last April, Sanders fell to the fifth round, where the Browns drafted him 144th overall during the 2025 NFL Draft.