Shedeur Sanders reportedly is picking up clipboards instead of football during Browns practices.
ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Rizzo said on his show Thursday he’s heard that the polarizing third-stringer quarterback is not even conducting the scout-team reps for the team.
“I’m hearing Shedeur isn not even running scout team, he’s literally watching everyone,” Rizzo said. “Bailey Zappe’s running scout team. I don’t know if that’s true, that’s what I’m hearing.
“Why’s he on the team? Why is he even here? If that’s what you think of him. Because his jersey is selling? The Haslems (Browns owners) don’t need jersey money, do they? Then why is he on the team, if he’s not even running scout team?”
Sanders is the most-discussed third-string quarterback in the league, with perhaps former Giants backup Tommy DeVito only in the discussion.
A third-string quarterback isn’t usually going to get practice reps since those will go to the starter and the backup — in this case No. 1 veteran Joe Flacco and No. 2 rookie Dillon Gabriel — leaving the team’s No. 3 as the potential option for scout-team reps.
Rizzo’s report states that the Browns are instead turning to Zappe, a fourth-year veteran, rather than let Sanders emulate the upcoming week’s opposing quarterback.
The Browns faced Joe Burrow, a more traditional pocket passer in Week 1, while they’re prepping for dual-threat signal caller Lamar Jackson this Sunday.
While there could be specific reasons why the Browns reportedly like Zappe to run the scout team, it does raise questions about Sanders’ outlook.
He had an up-and-down preseason, including a buzzworhy debut. The team did not alter its depth chart, keeping Gabriel, a third-rounder, ahead of Sanders, a fifth-rounder.
As Rizzo noted, a lack of playing time hasn’t calmed the Sanders hype.
He had the fifth-best selling jersey from March 1 through July 31, per the NFLPA.
Sanders ranked first among rookies, ahead of Colorado teammate Travis Hunter, and trailed only Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels and Josh Allen.