NFL franchises must cut their rosters down to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 26.
Browns GM Andrew Berry hinted at the possibility of keeping four quarterbacks on the roster, which would increase Sanders’ chances.
Fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders is likely to make the roster following recent QB moves by Cleveland.
Shedeur Sanders has spent the summer battling to make the Cleveland Browns 53-man roster. Soon, the fifth-round rookie will learn whether he has done enough to earn a spot with the team.
Cleveland’s preseason came to an end Saturday with its 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Sanders saw action in the contest – his second dose of live-game reps during the 2025 preseason – but struggled playing behind the team’s backup offensive line.
That will leave many wondering whether the Colorado product has done enough to earn a roster spot in a once-crowded Cleveland quarterback room that at one time featured Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Tyler Huntley.
Will Sanders make the Browns final roster? Cleveland may have tipped its hand. Here are the latest updates and rumors about the quarterback’s status as the Browns look to soon finalize their 53-man roster for the 2025 season.
Will Shedeur Sanders make Browns roster? Latest updates, rumors
Kenny Pickett traded to Raiders
Another hurdle that Sanders had to leap in order to secure a roster spot was in the form of Kenny Pickett. That is now cleared, with the Browns reportedly trading pick to the Raiders for a 2026 fifth-round pick.
Pickett is expected to fill in for backup QB Aidan O’Connell, who will miss 6-to-8 weeks while he deals with a fractured wrist.
Browns opt to release Tyler Huntley
It didn’t take long for Cleveland to decide its first QB move, releasing veteran Tyler Huntley on Sunday. That leaves Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders left in the QB room.
Browns GM Andrew Berry hints at Cleveland keeping four QBs on 53-man roster
Berry was asked in an appearance on the Cleveland broadcast of Sunday’s preseason game about the possibility of the Browns keeping four quarterbacks to begin the 2025 NFL season. His response?
‘Honestly, it’s not much of a decision for us,’ Berry told announcers Chris Rose and Joe Thomas, per the Akron Beacon Journal.
Berry has been adamant throughout the offseason keeping four quarterbacks would be an option for the Browns. He demonstrated a willingness to do this in 2024 as well, when Cleveland briefly rostered four quarterbacks before releasing Tyler Huntley just days after the 53-man roster deadline.
Repeating that strategy would allow Sanders a chance to make Cleveland’s roster despite being entrenched as its fourth-string quarterback.
Kevin Stefanski says Browns undecided about backup for Joe Flacco
The Browns already named Flacco their starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. The pecking order for their depth chart beyond him remains undetermined.
Stefanski was asked after Saturday’s preseason game if he knew who would be backing up Flacco to start the season.
‘I’m just not there yet,’ Stefanski told reporters. ‘I think we got to get through the next couple days.’
Sanders isn’t likely to earn the backup role after he fell flat in the preseason finale. That said, it’s worth wondering whether third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel showed enough to overtake veteran Kenny Pickett in the race for the No. 2 job. If so, that could make Pickett’s roster spot more precarious, or at least prompt Cleveland to consider putting the veteran on IR while he deals with hamstring injury.
That could potentially create a path for Sanders to make the roster even if the Browns only keep three quarterbacks.
Shedeur Sanders ‘obviously’ feels like he should make Browns roster
Sanders was asked after the Browns’ preseason finale against the Rams whether he believed he should make the Browns’ final roster. His response?
‘Obviously,’ Sanders said with a smile when asked by NFL Network’s Bridget Condon. ‘I think overall as a player, I feel like I’ve put in the work. I feel like everything I do, I try to do it to my best and that’s all you can ask for. I feel like everybody feels like they should be on the team. If you ask anybody on the team would they feel like they belong, they belong in they own eyes.
‘I feel like I do, but I’m my own player. I think about myself in a high regard.’
Shedeur Sanders finishes preseason with tough outing vs. Rams
Sanders played most of the second half of the Browns’ preseason Week 3 matchup with the Rams but struggled during it. He completed just 3 of 6 passes for 14 yards while being sacked a whopping five times.
Sanders showed a tendency to drift back in the pocket when under pressure, which caused him to absorb larger losses on some of his sacks. Overall, he lost 41 yards across the five sacks, which caused Cleveland to consistently play from behind the chains.
Sanders’ performance was a far cry from his strong debut in preseason Week 1. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. He added 19 yards on two scrambles and was sacked just twice despite playing a majority of the contest.