Browns' Stefanski: Shedeur will be backup QB to Gabriel

It turns out Shedeur Sanders will be Dillon Gabriel's backup quarterback for Sunday's contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers after all.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski didn't confirm Sanders as QB2 following the trade of Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this week. However, Stefanski announced Friday that Sanders would in fact be elevated on the depth chart, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Browns' quarterback position has undergone changes since Week 1 but Sanders had been cemented as the third emergency passer up until this week. Flacco, the Week 1 starter, was benched for Gabriel ahead of last week's game against the Minnesota Vikings, but served as his backup before being traded.

Gabriel threw for 190 yards with two touchdowns in his starting debut, a 21-17 loss to the Vikings that dropped the Browns to 1-4.

His next task is a 3-1 Steelers team that leads the AFC North.

Cleveland drafted Gabriel and Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft with the former going in third round while the latter fell to the fifth.