Shedeur Sanders gives one-of-a-kind interview following Browns’ QB shuffle

There has never been a third string quarterback in the NFL like former Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders. Every word he says is critiqued, every rep he takes at practice is analyzed to the finest detail, and the debate of when or if he will ever take a snap in a regular season game seems that it will never end.

Last week, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year said that he’s ready to play now and that he’s capable of playing better than some of the quarterback play going on around the league. That statement followed a report that he didn’t want to be drafted by the Baltimore Ravens because he didn’t want to be the backup to Lamar Jackson and thought he had a better chance of playing.

Jackson is now injured, and Cooper Rush is the backup who is set to start this week, while Sanders is still stuck as the No. 3 signal caller on the Browns’ depth chart.

On Wednesday, Cleveland announced that Dillon Gabriel, who was selected ahead of Sanders in the third round of the draft, would be the team’s starting quarterback for their game against the Vikings this week. Instead of Sanders bumping up to the backup, he will stay as the third guy behind Joe Flacco, the original starter who was benched.

Joe Flacco will serve as Dillon Gabriel’s backup and Shedeur Sanders will remain Cleveland’s third-string QB. https://t.co/7Z2jDzGqfo

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2025

As with the smallest bit of news out of the Browns locker room, Sanders was asked about the decision following practice on Wednesday. Instead of answering all the questions like he — and every other football player — usually does, he took a different approach on the interview.

#Browns Shedeur talking, or… Not talking to Shedeur after being named the third string… Yes your volume is fine. pic.twitter.com/AwnsxCUpyr

— Coop (@JJCoop25) October 1, 2025

Since every word he says gets critiqued, he decided to not say anything at all. Instead of doing no press, like players would usually do, he decided to field questions and answer them like a mime.

Pretty funny stuff.

Will his time ever come in Cleveland? It’s pretty clear that the coaching staff over there is not fond of him, as they likely would’ve bumped him up to the backup if they felt like giving him a chance. Instead, they opted to keep Flacco as the backup, who has clearly been the worst quarterback in the NFL through four games.

With Deshaun Watson’s return from a torn achilles on the horizon, the quarterback room is slated to get even more crowded. Would getting cut when the room blossoms to four quarterbacks be Sanders’ best course of action to get on the field anytime soon?

Related

As Broncos prepare for preseason test, there’s a key trend they hope sustainsHere’s when the Broncos will wear their throwback, navy-blue, orange and white jerseys in 2026Broncos reveal parking and tailgating plan for Burnham YardBo Nix won’t play in Broncos first preseason game, QB plan revealedBroncos list Jarrett Stidham as No. 2 QB on first depth chart of 2026 seasonBroncos 15th most valuable franchise in NFL, worth more than $9 billion