FanDuel throws shade at Browns for choosing Joe Flacco as QB1 over Shedeur Sanders

It came as no surprise, but the Cleveland Browns made the official announcement on Monday that veteran Joe Flacco would be the team's starting quarterback. The Browns brass teased a "four-way" QB competition during Training Camp, but it never seemed like rookies Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel had a legitimate chance of winning the job. It instead came down to Flacco and Kenny Pickett, with Pickett's injury issues giving Flacco the leg up that he needed.

While the move was expected, it came with criticism from an unlikely source. FanDuel Sportsbook's X account posted a comparison to the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, when they stuck with Flacco over first-round pick - and future two-time league MVP - Lamar Jackson:

They aren't directly comparing Sanders to Jackson. Those two QBs obviously have very different games, but it could turn out to be similarly received in retrospect if Sanders takes the star turn that some believe he can down the road.

Shedeur Sanders' future in Cleveland is uncertain

It's not realistic to believe that the Browns are going to keep four quarterbacks on the roster heading into the regular season. There are only 53 roster spots, and you can't waste three spots on guys who aren't going to play week-to-week.

That could put Sanders on the chopping block. Flacco's spot is assured as the starter, and it seems unlikely that the Browns would cut Pickett after using a 5th round pick to trade for him this offseason.

That could mean that Cleveland is deciding between the two rookies. Regardless of what I believe, which is that Sanders has obviously shown he's the superior prospect, the Browns have consistently listed Gabriel higher on the depth chart.

Prior to his dazzling preseason debut a couple of weeks ago, Cleveland may have had trouble finding a trade partner for Sanders. Every other franchise had an opportunity to draft the former Colorado star multiple times and didn't.

But after showing a lot of promise against the Panthers in the first game of the preseason, Sanders could have more of a trade market now. Teams that don't have a promising young QB could potentially offer a mid-round pick to get the Browns to bite on a trade for Sanders.