Shedeur Sanders Injured in Practice, Browns QB Depth Chart in Flux Ahead of Preseason Game

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders suffered an injury during Wednesday’s practice and is expected to miss some time. The injury occurred during a joint practice session with the Philadelphia Eagles and was confirmed as an oblique strain.

Sanders’ Injury Update

During individual drills, Sanders was injured and did not participate in the 7-on-7 or full-team sessions that followed. The Browns confirmed the injury later that day.

“Further medical testing and examination on Shedeur Sanders revealed an oblique strain. He is considered day to day, won’t practice tomorrow, and is unlikely to play in the game on Saturday,” a statement from the team read.

This news comes as a setback for Sanders, who had a strong preseason debut in the team's victory over the Carolina Panthers. Sanders started the game and played the majority of it, throwing for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 victory. His performance had been a highlight of the preseason, as he had expressed his excitement about being part of a new chapter with the Browns.

“I’m thankful for being able to look in every player’s eyes and tell them, ‘This is new, this is a family. We’ve got to change,’” Sanders said after the game. “Me coming here, my vow is to definitely make change, and change was made. I was very thankful, very excited being out there with the O-line and everything like that. I was so thankful being out there with them, receivers, and everybody did their part, and I feel like everybody believed.”

Opportunity for Dillon Gabriel

With Sanders out and Kenny Pickett also sidelined with a hamstring injury, the door is wide open for third-round pick Dillon Gabriel to step up. Gabriel missed last week's preseason game due to his own hamstring injury, but with Sanders out, Gabriel is now healthy and ready to make an impact.

“Every day is critical, you know, so you could have probably asked me that next week and the following,” Gabriel said. “Every single day is critical, and you have to approach it every single day like that because that’s all you got, right? And you’re only as good as your last outing. So yes, every day, everything’s critical, everything’s important, and it’s got to be that way when you’re playing against high-level teams every single week.”

Gabriel remains uncertain about the situation for game day, saying, “I have no clue what’s going to happen. I’m just right where my feet are. But time will tell, and we’ll see what happens, but that’s up to the coaches, and we got a lot of time up to that point.”

Joe Flacco’s Role Unclear for Saturday’s Game

Joe Flacco, the 40-year-old veteran quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP, has been the lone healthy quarterback for the Browns throughout training camp. However, Flacco is unlikely to see time during the second preseason game against the Eagles, as the team has a clear idea of what they have in him.

“I spoke with Shedeur after the injury, but there’s not a lot I can do,” Flacco said, reflecting on the rookie’s situation. “It’s tough. We all want to be out there getting reps, but that’s what training camp and football is all about. Sometimes these things happen. Sometimes you’ve got to deal with them, and it is what it is.”

While Flacco is the frontrunner to be the starting quarterback for Week 1, he is likely to play during the Browns’ final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on August 23