Shedeur Sanders is finally getting an opportunity to take control of the Cleveland Browns offense on Friday, as he prepares to start the team’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. Despite limited training camp reps compared to the other quarterbacks in the Browns’ QB competition, fans are excited to see Sanders get a chance to prove that he was worth more than a fifth-round pick. While it’s a golden opportunity to show he’s capable of being a starter at the NFL level, Sanders hasn’t exactly been set up to succeed.
Are The Browns Setting Shedeur Sanders Up To Fail?
NFL expert Louis Riddick explained the situation that Sanders has been put in on ESPN’s Get Up show. “I’m afraid he’s going to get on the field in preseason games without a lot of practice reps,” said Riddick. “And then they are going to ask him to perform these heroic tasks in order to prove that he’s worthy of being a starter when he really hasn’t had enough reps to really get comfortable.
“That’s the kind of battle he’s dealing with right now.”
Riddick did express confidence that Sanders could still make the most of his opportunity on Friday. “If anyone can get it done, it’s this kid because he’s been trained the right way.”
Former NFL Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III also chimed in on social media and seemed to agree that Shedeur hasn’t been given enough reps during training camp.
Shedeur Sanders is being set up to fail in Cleveland. But God’s got him showing out even with limited reps.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 5, 2025
Colin Cowherd Disagrees With Media Narrative Around Sanders
Of course, not everyone agrees with Riddick’s assessment.
Without mentioning Riddick personally, Colin Cowherd condemned the idea that Sanders has been set up to fail by the organization on Wednesday during an episode of The Herd, saying “…and because he only gets one practice with the 1’s, it’s sabotage. You’ve got to be kidding me. Stop pandering. Stop protecting the media.”
“There’s absolutely no value in screwing over Shedeur Sanders,” Cowherd continued. “He may not be the future, but the perfect scenario, actually, is that he plays kind of well.”
"Because he only gets one practice with the 1s it's sabotage? You've got to be kidding me."@colincowherd thinks Shedeur Sanders starting the Browns preseason opener is a golden opportunity for the rookie pic.twitter.com/Mxg8cHiOYY
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 6, 2025
Has Sanders Been Given Enough Reps In Training Camp?
While Cowherd cited some examples of other quarterbacks coming in on short notice and performing at a high level during the regular season, this situation isn’t exactly comparing apples to apples. This isn’t a situation where Sanders isn’t getting enough reps with the first-team offense, he seems to be getting significantly fewer reps overall, which can make it even tougher on a rookie to perform.
To Riddick’s point, Sanders has had limited reps throughout training camp and was even reportedly throwing to equipment staff at one point to get comfortable in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
"Shedeur Sanders is throwing, apparently, not to receivers, but to equipment guys," – @HammerNation19.
How are you feeling about the Browns two days into training camp? pic.twitter.com/wuPiXNUCeS
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 25, 2025
In the final practice before his start on Friday against the Panthers, Sanders threw only seven passes, the fewest number of reps among any of the top four QBs on the depth chart.
Through the first nine days of training camp, Sanders completed 49 of 70 passes with six touchdowns and no interceptions. His 70 pass attempts were the fewest of any of the quarterbacks outside of Kenny Pickett, who missed considerable time due to a hamstring injury. On the other hand, third-round pick Dillon Gabriel had nearly 60% more reps than Sanders during the same span. Gabriel finished 62 of 113 with four touchdowns and two interceptions in that timeframe.
Just a few days ago, Sanders received zero reps compared to 22 for Gabriel with the team citing “arm soreness” as the reason, though Sanders later told reporters that “he’s good.”
Most fifth-round picks aren’t under the microscope the way that Sanders will be on Friday. Fair or not, Shedeur’s preseason performance won’t just be viewed through the lens of a typical rookie QB. But that won’t stop him from showcasing the skills, leadership, and confidence that got him to this point.
Friday might not define Sanders’ NFL future, but it could be the first step toward proving he belongs. All he needs now is something that he hasn’t had yet.
A real shot.
