"Let's just call spade a spade.": Cam Newton pushes back on calls for Shedeur Sanders to replace Dillon Gabriel

Shedeur Sanders is still waiting for his NFL debut. The Cleveland Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, but he's yet to see the gridiron in a regular-season game.

Numerous Browns fans are calling on coach Kevin Stefanski to give Sanders a runout, but former NFL MVP Cam Newton is pushing back on such calls. While speaking on the 4th&1 Podcast, Newton said,

"If the untrained eye is expecting the Cleveland Browns to put Shedeur Sanders in that quarterback position with what he has at his disposal, you'll be a fool to think that he's going to do anything different than Dillon Gabriel. If you are a fan of Shedeur Sanders, you wouldn't even want him to be in that type of situation. They're not losing because of Dillon. They lose it because they don't have enough receivers that can beat their man-to-man matchups.'

Newton continued,

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"A quarterback's best friend is a stout offensive line, a good running game, and an opportunistic defense. He doesn't have all three, and you need all three to assist a young quarterback.'

The former Carolina Panthers star concluded, saying,

"If you're seeing this message, bro, and you're a real football fan, you know Dillon Gabriel is playing what you would expect a rookie to play like. If you think by throwing Shedeur Sanders in there, and he's gonna make a difference, let's just call a spade a spade. Would I want to see Shedeur Sanders play? Hell yes. But I also know the realism of expecting something different with the same circumstances."

Newton believes that any young quarterback would struggle to thrive in the current Cleveland Browns side. He pointed out the lack of reliable targets, the offensive line, and the uncertainty of the scheme.

Newton admitted to wanting to see Shedeur Sanders play. But he's not sure of the promising QB's ability to thrive in a system currently headed for yet another high pick in the first round of the NFL draft.

Shedeur Sanders remains QB2 on Browns' depth chart

Shedeur Sanders will be on the bench for his side's Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Dillon Gabriel will continue as the team's starting quarterback ahead of one of their toughest starts of the season so far.

According to Yahoo Sports, when asked, Kevin Stefanski said nothing has changed regarding Shedeur Sanders' practice reps. The 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner isn't getting snaps with the starting unit as a backup quarterback.

Stefanski did praise Sanders' work ethic, with the regular season officially past the halfway point. The Browns will have their work cut out against the in-form Baltimore Ravens.

Following today's game, the Browns have seven games remaining to salvage what has been a frustrating season. There's a chance Sanders could feature in a handful of games in his rookie season. However, he and his teammates must navigate a daunting Ravens test in Week 11.

Edited by Nick Igbokwe