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After announcing Dillon Gabriel as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in Week 5, Joe Flacco was relegated to backup quarterback. The following week, the Browns swung a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals to send Flacco for a pick swap.
That move opened up the backup quarterback spot for the Browns. Gabriel is the starter in Cleveland, but the backup spot is up for grabs. During Wednesday's press conference, he was asked whether Shedeur Sanders would be the Browns' backup quarterback.
As Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com shared from Stefanski's press conference, he was non-committal to Sanders as the team's new backup quarterback, revealing he'd make a decision later in the week.
Browns' Kevin Stefanski non-committal to Shedeur Sanders as backup quarterback for Week 6
"I'll let the week play out and make a decision later on," Stefanski said. For now, Gabriel remains the starter while Sanders and practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe are the two quarterbacks vying for the backup spot.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski will wait until later in the week to decide if Shedeur Sanders will be the No. 2 vs #Steelers: pic.twitter.com/xlp48mT1Yz
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 8, 2025Stefanski went into greater detail on his philosophy of handling young players like Sanders, revealing that he's not going to make an aggressive decision until he's certain Sanders is ready.
"Still working through all roster-type things," Stefanski said. "I always have to be mindful of our players and our players development. I want to make sure I'm doing what's best for our players, and of course, our team. With young players, I'm always thinking about last week. Making the change to Dillon, we had to think long and hard about that. These are young players that you're so invested in."
Sanders was drafted two rounds after Gabriel and has been the team's third-string quarterback the entire season until this point. But, with Flacco in Cincinnati, the number two spot behind Gabriel is up for grabs.
While Zappe could earn the spot, Sanders is the obvious choice for the backup quarterback job. However, Stefanski isn't willing to commit to Sanders just yet.
The former Colorado quarterback is coming off a strong season in 2024 with 4,132 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. In the preseason for Cleveland, he threw 29 passes for 17 completions (58.6 completion percentage) for 152 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
But one of the reasons why he didn't earn the starting job was the sacks he took during the preseason. He took seven sacks and lost 47 yards total on such sacks. It was an issue coming out of college, and it's one of the reasons why the Browns opted for Flacco and Gabriel to begin this season as their starters.
However, even with his struggles, due to Flacco being out of the picture, Sanders is likely the backup for Gabriel in week 6. But, Stefasnki isn't making that decision just yet, as the Browns will decide on their backup quarterback later in the week. If it's not Sanders, it'd be Zappe, a journeyman backup who spent time with Cleveland in 2024.
More Browns News:
- Browns’ Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski’s ‘youth evaluation’ plan delivers Shedeur Sanders long-awaited chance
- Joe Flacco trade winners and losers: Ja'Marr Chase, Shedeur Sanders headline impact of bizarre Browns-Bengals deal
- Dillon Gabriel debut grades: Browns rookie QB proves he's a gamer despite loss to Vikings
- Browns' Quinshon Judkins matches Nick Chubb in Cleveland RB history with rookie record
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