Overview
- Cleveland retained Shedeur Sanders through the trade deadline, and he remains without a regular-season snap while staying behind Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart.
- Gabriel is confirmed to start against the Jets and has produced 702 passing yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions, with concerns highlighted about his low yards per attempt.
- Head coach Kevin Stefanski ceded offensive play-calling to coordinator Tommy Rees following the bye as the offense ranks near the bottom of the league in yards and points.
- Beat writer Mary Kay Cabot dismissed talk of injury gamesmanship, noted Sanders missed Monday’s practice with back tightness, and argued Bailey Zappe is the better in-game relief option if needed.
- Insider reporting says Sanders has not received first-team reps and may not be viewed as ready, while outside speculation links Cleveland’s two 2026 first-round picks to potential quarterback targets such as Alabama’s Ty Simpson.