Don’t be surprised if Shedeur Sanders ends up starting in Cleveland sooner than expected.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said on “Get Up” that Sanders is a “perfect” fit for Kevin Stefanski’s play-action-style offense which the Browns ran prior to Deshaun Watson’s arrival in Cleveland.
“If this offense is going under Stefanski, at least rumors of what it was a couple of years ago, he’s perfect for it,” Orlovsky said on “Get Up” on Monday.
“He’s perfect for the under center, play-action, control the line of scrimmage, see the defense — get from one, two, three, he’s got to do it more quickly, but he’s custom-made for that.”
Orlovsky sees Sanders as a more conventional, pro-style quarterback who lines up under center and uses the run game to his advantage as he methodically breaks down a defense, which is the opposite of quarterbacks who spread out defenses or run the option out of the backfield to utilize their legs.
“The way that he thinks, the way that he can see something on the board, take it to a walk-through, bring it to a practice that’s [what you want to see],” Orlovsky said.
The Browns ran play action on 25.5 percent of their pass plays (11th-most) in 2020 in Stefanski’s first year as head coach, but that number that fell off a cliff to 18.3 percent in 2024 (10th-fewest) with Watson and Jameis Winston mostly behind center.
Cleveland selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick despite having also drafted Dillon Gabriel No. 94 in the same draft, and the team also has veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in the mix.
Peter Schrager added that Sanders fell in the draft in part because he was only coached by his father, Deion Sanders, in high school and college, while also not having an agent or attending the NFL Combine.
Only 13 teams carried three quarterbacks through their initial 53-man roster last season after training camp, so it will be a situation worth monitoring throughout the summer.
Still, Orlovsky believes that the former Colorado star quarterback has a path to playing time despite being selected No. 144 overall by the Browns.
Watson could potentially miss the whole season after undergoing multiple surgeries on his right Achilles tendon, leaving the team in search of a Week 1starter despite his $35.9 million cap hit.
Pickett is set to make the most among the team’s quarterbacks and is on a guaranteed deal this year, while Flacco has a cap hit of just $2.85 million and could a trade candidate if he doesn’t win the job.
Sanders and Gabriel likely will be batting in camp to stay off the practice squad.