It's still early, but the Browns continue to show that they aren't going to give Shedeur Sanders a legitimate shot in the QB competition. Despite a strong Training Camp where he has arguably been the most impressive QB on the depth chart, Cleveland made two decisions on Monday night that signaled that Sanders has a long way to go to work his way up the depth chart, if he can ever actually get a fair shake at it.
First, according to Adam Schefter, the Browns released their initial depth chart at QB. Sanders was listed at No. 4:
On the Browns’ first depth chart of the season, they list their QBs in this order:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2025
1. Joe Flacco
2. Kenny Pickett
3. Dillon Gabriel
4. Shedeur Sanders pic.twitter.com/p2hu5Oz9JR
The current depth chart isn't likely indicative of anything outside of preconceived notions. And Sanders should get a real opportunity to showcase his ability in a game setting where Cleveland brass cannot ignore him when the Browns open preseason in Carolina on Friday night against the Panthers.
Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel are both nursing hamstring injuries, so it's possible that Sanders actually serves as QB2 for the preseason opener behind Flacco and gets a tremendous amount of playing time.
Of course, the Browns made one more move on Monday to avoid giving Sanders a legitimate shot.
The Browns signed veteran QB Tyler Huntley on Monday night
Shortly after Schefter reported the QB pecking order in Cleveland, he turned around and posted that the Browns had signed veteran QB Tyler Huntley. Huntley has been an NFL backup for years, serving as Lamar Jackson's backup for the division rival Baltimore Ravens from 2020-2023 before spending last season with the Miami Dolphins.
Sources: Browns are signing QB Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, who spent part of last season with Cleveland. With Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel nursing hamstring injuries, and Shedeur Sanders having a sore shoulder, the Browns need another arm. Enter Huntley. https://t.co/6nJ1w1AN8w pic.twitter.com/hLNJzbcWhQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2025
It's unlikely that Huntley will be ready to play by Friday's preseason opener, so it shouldn't impact Hunter's reps for that game as Gabriel and Pickett seem unlikely to be able to play.
Four quarterbacks were already probably too many, so of course the Browns decided to muddy the waters by signing a fifth QB (and really a sixth if you count Deshaun Watson as he recovers from an Achilles tear).
The Browns have had 14 different starting quarterbacks over the last seven years. They've had seven just in the last two seasons alone. This is an embarrassing cycle of ineptitude that the Browns have been stuck in, with no sign of a reprieve for a loyal fan base that keeps watching as the football gets pulled out from under them as they try to kick it.
Sanders deserves better. Unfortunately, he got drafted by an unserious franchise that has no desire to change anything.