Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. After Devin Williams’s latest collapse, I was tempted just to re-run yesterday’s newsletter on his struggles.
In today’s SI:AM:
🟠 Browns’ QB plan
🏈 NFL preseason storylines
🥊 Pound-for-pound boxing rankings
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Shedeur steps into the spotlight
Shedeur Sanders is the most famous fourth-string quarterback in the NFL, but on Friday, he’ll get an unexpected chance to prove he deserves to move up the depth chart.
Sanders is expected to start for the Browns in their preseason opener against the Panthers, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported Tuesday.
Sanders will get the nod because Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett are both dealing with hamstring injuries, and the team doesn’t want to risk an injury to veteran Joe Flacco, who’s currently listed first on the depth chart. Cleveland also signed former Ravens and Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley on Tuesday to provide some depth behind Sanders in the opener.
It’s a lucky break for Sanders, who hasn’t even gotten to play with the first-team offense in practice yet. (Cabot reported that he’s expected to get first-team reps on Wednesday in a joint practice with Carolina.) The injuries to Pickett and Gabriel will allow Sanders to see significant playing time with the Browns’ starters in a competitive environment—an opportunity he never would have gotten otherwise. But at the same time, it’s also a difficult position to be put in. Getting his first practice reps with the starters two days before the game makes it challenging to get on the same page. Add to that the fact that it’s his first game in an NFL uniform, with a relatively new playbook, and it’s easy to see how much of a challenge this is. And that’s to say nothing of the immense pressure on Sanders to prove himself in what could be his only significant chance with the starters this preseason.
If Sanders is going to challenge for the starting job in Cleveland at any point this year, it begins with a strong performance on Friday in Charlotte. His stunning fall from presumptive first-round pick all the way to the fifth round has been the subject of much debate. There are still plenty of people who believe that Sanders will be a quality NFL quarterback, but his opportunities to validate that belief will be scarce. The Browns have a very crowded quarterback room, and Sanders clearly hasn’t done enough in training camp to warrant being given bigger opportunities in practice. If Pickett and/or Gabriel are healthy enough to play in the next preseason game, then Sanders could go right back to his place playing with the other backups—unless he shows on Friday that he’s worthy of another look with the first team.
The good news for Sanders is that while the Browns may have a whole bunch of quarterbacks, none of them really stand out. The 40-year-old Flacco, who wasn’t nearly as good in six starts for the Colts last year as he was in his miracle comeback season with Cleveland in 2023; Pickett has thrown 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 25 career starts; and Gabriel is a 5'11" rookie.
The combination of Sanders’s last name and his unexpected draft tumble makes him by far the most noteworthy fifth-round rookie in the NFL. There will surely be calls for him to start at some point this season, and those calls could begin getting louder after Friday.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- Conor Orr has a list of 10 things to watch for in the first week of the NFL preseason.
- In Year 2 of the Jim Harbaugh era, the Chargers have a team that resembles his best. Albert Breer has five takeaways from Chargers camp.
- Oleksandr Usyk remains atop Chris Mannix’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings after a decisive knockout win over Daniel Dubois.
- The Yankees lost their fifth straight game after Devin Williams got rocked again.
- SMU lands at No. 13 in SI’s College Football Preseason Top 25 after a breakout 2024 campaign. With quarterback Kevin Jennings returning under center, the Mustangs are poised to make noise in their first ACC season.
- SI’s ranking of the 25 best college football coaches from the past 25 years begins—and arguably ends—with Nick Saban, whose unprecedented run redefined the standard for success.
The top five…
… plays in baseball last night:
5. A diving catch by Brewers minor leaguer Kay-Lan Nicasia for the final out of the game.
4. A beautiful play by Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott.
3. Three homers for A’s catcher Shea Langeliers. (He’s the first player to ever hit three home runs in his first game as a leadoff hitter.)
2. Rangers third baseman Josh Smith’s sliding catch in foul territory.
1. Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s home run off a 103.9 mph Mason Miller fastball. (That’s the fastest pitch hit for a home run in the pitch-tracking era.)
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | Shedeur Sanders Gets Big Break With Chance to Start Preseason Game.