By Cole SullivanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberCleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is set for the second start of his career on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, and it’s shaping up to be a pivotal game for multiple reasons.
While the team’s immediate goal is simply to win and improve to 2-0 with Sanders as the starter, his performance could also play a big role in determining his future with the organization, especially as the season winds down.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported on Sunday that the Browns are open to letting Sanders start the remainder of the season as a kind of audition to see if he can be their long-term franchise quarterback. However, if he struggles to progress, there remains the possibility the team could revert back to Dillon Gabriel.
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Despite that, Wolfe noted that Browns general manager Andrew Berry sounded very optimistic about Sanders and spoke highly of his potential at the position.
“Talking to people around the Browns, they plan to give him the rest of the season to be the starter as long as he continues to progress,” Wolfe said pregame in Cleveland. “It could be a six-game audition to prove to the Browns they don’t need to draft a quarterback with one of their two first-round picks next year. I talked to Browns GM Andrew Berry—he raved about Shedeur’s progress, saying he’s come a long way in a short period of time. He also called him a playmaker. ‘He’s going to make plays. We don’t want to take that out of him. They want to see him minimize his downside, continue to be Shedeur, and maybe, just maybe, he’s the Browns’ answer at quarterback.’”
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In his first start against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sanders completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, finishing with an 87.3 passer rating.
Sunday’s matchup against the 49ers could present another challenge, particularly due to the expected weather and strong winds. The conditions may force both teams to rely heavily on the running game, putting extra emphasis on the backs.
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