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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Friday that Shedeur Sanders will be the team’s backup quarterback for the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Browns traded Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, opening the door for Sanders to be added to the active roster for the first time in his career. In the team’s first five games, he was the emergency third quarterback.
Flacco struggled as the Browns went 1-3 in his four starts as he completed just over 58% of his passes for 815 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions before being benched for Dillon Gabriel. Flacco served as the team’s backup in the team’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5.
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Shedeur Sanders, No. 12, of the Cleveland Browns, warms up before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on September 28, 2025, in Detroit, Michigan. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Stefanski was noncommittal about Sanders being the backup quarterback on Wednesday, leaving fans wondering if they had opted to promote practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe. Zappe started the team’s season finale in 2024.
Sanders said he was excited about endorsing Dillon Gabriel on Thursday.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) directs the offense during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. (Ken Blaze/Image Images)
“I’m in a great mental space overall,” Sanders said. “I would say you tend to get a little more excited when you see a light at the end of the tunnel, for sure… Whatever my role is here, I’m grateful. I’m happy to be able to do that.”
Gabriel made his first career start in the team’s 21-17 loss to the Vikings last week in London. The 24-year-old completed 57.6% of his passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on September 28, 2025. (David Reginek/Imagn Images)
The Browns (1-4) face the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) on the road on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
