Browns refuse to name backup QB – questions Shedeur Sanders’ rise to prominence

Kevin Stefanski is not ready to name a backup quarterback.

With Joe Flacco now in Cincinnati and Dillion Gabriel installed as the Browns’ starter, Cleveland’s head coach remained tight-lipped when speaking to reporters about whether Shedeur Sanders or Bailey Zappe would be the team’s QB2 for this week’s game against the Steelers.

“(We) are still working on all the roster-related things,” Stefanski said. “I always have to be attentive to our players and their development. I want to make sure I always do what is best for our players and, of course, our team.

“But with young players, I always think about last week, making the change for Dillon, you have to think long and hard about it because they’re young players and you’re so invested in their development. So, I’m going to let the week play out, make a decision later on that.”

Zappe, a 2022 fourth-round pick, is currently on the Browns’ practice squad but could be elevated before Sunday after the Flacco trade.

In the meantime, Sanders is Gabriel’s replacement by default.

Sanders, who is still waiting to take his first NFL snap of the regular season, praised veteran Flacco after his retirement earlier this week.

“He was definitely someone that I leaned on for wisdom and I feel like he helped me a lot. He helped me a lot during my time here in Cleveland,” Sanders told Fox 8 News in Cleveland. “So now everyone has their own destiny and plans in life, so just happy for them.”

Last week, before the Flacco trade, Sanders was still listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the Browns’ depth chart as they look for their second win of the season.

The “specific reason” Sanders wasn’t named Gabriel’s replacement was that the Browns “want Sanders to succeed when he’s out there, and when he plays, they want him to do so with a game plan that’s designed for him to thrive,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport.

Rapaport added that NFL legend Deion Sanders’ son will play “at some point this season when he’s ready…with a full week of practice and a game plan built for him.”