Overview

• Cleveland has Joe Flacco locked in as the Week 1 starter, with the preseason finale vs. the Rams set to rotate Flacco, then Dillon Gabriel, then Shedeur Sanders, while Kenny Pickett remains out with a hamstring injury.
• Sanders returned from an oblique issue that cost him the second exhibition and will get another evaluation window after a promising debut of 138 yards and two touchdowns.
• Addressing Gabriel’s “entertainers and competitors” remark, Sanders said he was unbothered and noted Gabriel told him the comment was not about him, pushing back when a reporter pressed if he believed it.
• Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson claimed the NFL told teams not to draft Sanders and said the Browns were “forced” to take him, a narrative disputed by insider Albert Breer, who pointed to league evaluations and interview concerns.
• With roster cuts approaching, analysts are split on whether Cleveland should keep, trade or waive Sanders, noting the risk another team could claim him if he’s exposed to the practice squad and ongoing questions about his readiness to run the offense.