Morning Coffee: Sanders enters Browns QB1 conversation with strong NFL debut

The Cleveland Browns quarterback carousel is the NFL version of a horror movie franchise.

Every year, football fans in Cleveland spend most of their summer refusing to believe that the next chapter in the seemingly never-ending saga will be any different.

At least that way they can’t be disappointed in the end.

The big twist in the latest installment of the Nightmare on Lake Erie is the fact that Browns fans still don’t know who the main character will be this time around.

Cleveland is suddenly home to the most crowded QB room in the NFL and the cruel irony is that the majority of the league’s other 31 teams might not be interested in giving up much capital to acquire any one of them.

Back in March, most fans figured Kenny Pickett would be in contention for the starting QB job when the Browns acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Then in April, Joe Flacco signed a one-year contract with Cleveland that is loaded with incentives that could make the deal worth up to $13 million – a clear sign he would be in the mix for the starting job.

By the time the Browns selected Dillon Gabriel with a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, it appeared as though the central cast for The Curse of the Dawg Pound had already been established.

We didn’t know it at the time, but the studio head apparently wasn’t happy with the lack of star power that had signed on for the latest sequel.

So, when Shedeur Sanders fell to the 144th overall pick, the stage was set for Cleveland to make the most memorable selection of the weekend.

Fast-forward to August and when the Browns released their first official depth chart, Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders were listed one through four in that order.

With Pickett and Gabriel both dealing with injuries, Cleveland added Tyler Huntley to its crowded QB room.

That move brought the Browns quarterback total to five.

Huntley won’t start for Cleveland when they host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 of the regular season.

However, even if Huntley doesn’t make the final cut, that leaves four QBs potentially in line for the starting job.

With one pre-season game in the books, Browns fans might feel like they are further away from finding out who their starter will be than at any point this offseason.

Flacco is still No. 1 on the depth chart, but Pickett and Gabriel are both banged up, and Sanders just put on a show in his NFL pre-season debut.

Which character do the FanDuel traders think will ultimately land the lead role in the next chapter of the Browns QB carousel saga?

Sanders opened as a considerable longshot in that market.

After a successful NFL pre-season debut in a win over the Carolina Panthers on Friday night, the odds for Sanders to be the QB1 in Cleveland have shifted significantly.

This is Morning Coffee for Monday August 11th, 2025.

Shedeur Sanders Shakes Up Browns QB1 Conversation With Strong NFL Debut

Sanders entered his NFL pre-season debut as a +3500 longshot to be Cleveland’s starting quarterback in Week 1 of the regular season at FanDuel.

For perspective, those odds translate to a 2.8 per cent implied probability.

Three days later, FanDuel has Sanders at +1100 to be the starting quarterback for the Browns in Week 1.

That updated number translates to an 8.3 per cent implied probability.

It might not seem like a significant increase, but it’s worth noting that Sanders now has shorter odds to win the QB1 job in Cleveland than the fellow rookie Gabriel at +1800.

Flacco remains the favourite to be QB1 at -156.

Pickett is a close second choice at +150. 

While Flacco and Pickett are the top two QBs on the depth chart, there’s one obvious reason why the odds for Sanders to start have shifted so drastically.

Sanders impressed in his NFL pre-season debut.

The 23-year-old went 14-of-23 for 138 yards and two touchdown passes in a win in Carolina.

On throws that travelled 10+ yards downfield, Sanders went 5-of-7 for 93 yards and two scores.

He also scrambled twice for 19 yards.

Both of his TD passes were thrown from outside of the pocket on plays that Sanders managed to extend with his legs.

While Sanders was quick to play down the performance, there’s no doubt that at least one well-known Browns fan was impressed with what he saw.

Flacco is 40-years-old and signed to a one-year contract.

Pickett is 27-years-old with one year left on his contract.

Gabriel is an unproven rookie that has been limited in practice due to a nagging hamstring injury but could see his first NFL action in this Saturday’s pre-season game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Then there’s Sanders, the rookie fifth round pick that impressed in his debut and has a skill set that has intrigued football fans in Cleveland.

He also happens to lead all NFL rookies in merchandise sales this summer.

In case you missed it, the Browns social media team did an excellent job of capturing Sanders’ arrival to the NFL.

Now the question becomes whether he can build on that debut in practices and pre-season action.

This morning, Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t commit to a starting quarterback for this week’s pre-season game.

With so much uncertainty surrounding a crowded QB room, I wouldn’t be surprised with any direction the franchise decides to go at this point.

Remember, this is a team with a regular season win total set at over/under 4.5 at FanDuel.

No team is considered more likely to miss the playoffs at FanDuel than Cleveland.

Does it really make sense to go with either veteran option Week 1?

Or is it more realistic to roll with the rookies and see what you must help inform any decision you make about what to do next at the position?

What do you think the Browns should do at the quarterback position?

Hit me up @Domenic_Padula on X and let me know your thoughts.

Regardless of what happens next, Shedeur Sanders has been the biggest story of the NFL pre-season to date.

That’s good business for the Browns.

It’s good business for the NFL.