With how poorly the Browns have played offensively through three weeks, there's a chance that Shedeur Sanders will eventually get an opportunity during his rookie year in Cleveland. For now, though, Sanders is handling being inactive on gamedays and his work with the scout team with maturity and the seriousness of a long-time NFL veteran.
Even without playing, the former Colorado star QB commands media attention. Prior to the Browns' matchup with the Packers on Sunday, local reporters caught up with Sanders to ask him about how he's handling being a reserve with his reps only coming from scout team work.
His answer showed his continued maturation:
"I have six games a week," Sanders said about the scout team. "I'm happy rather than just having one game a week, you know on the weekends. The scout team receivers, all of us we all know every day is gameday. We definitely approach everything in that fashion...I truly believe the receivers we have on the scout team is really explosive and really great, they just need opportunities. I'm very thankful I have these guys out there with me when I'm out there competing."
Shedeur Sanders is keeping his head down and focused on developing
All Sanders can do is control what he can control. He can't control any decisions that get made by the Browns as an organization. All he can do is do his best every day, keep his head down, and continue to develop in the background. His time will eventually come.
It could come quicker than most expect. The Browns, despite pulling out a stunning 13-10 win over the Packers on Sunday, continue to roll out one of the league's worst offenses. Cleveland is 30th in the NFL through three weeks averaging just 15.3 points per game.
The Browns have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and could be a playoff contender if they had even an average offense. If Flacco continues to struggle - and recent history provides little evidence that things will be any different for the aging veteran - then Cleveland could decide to make a change and give either Sanders or Dillon Gabriel a shot.
Gabriel would likely be first in line due to his standing as the No. 2 QB on the depth chart, but Sanders could get a look at some point, too. It all depends on how this season goes for the Browns. The win over Green Bay was nice, but it would be a surprise if this team was in contention in December. If not, then they'll need to see what they have in the rookie signal-callers.