Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images

Question Marks Surrounding Shedeur Sanders as Kevin Stefanski Remains Non-Commital on Backup QB Ahead of Week 6

Shedeur Sanders may not be the backup QB in Cleveland after all!

Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images

When the news of Joe Flacco being traded to the Cincinnati Bengals broke out on Tuesday, October 7, one of the immediate thoughts to enter the minds of football fans and analysts alike was that Shedeur Sanders is now the Browns’ backup quarterback.

However, for Browns’ head coach, Kevin Stefanski, that is not a foregone conclusion, giving rise to confusion amongst the fanbase.

Stefanski Refuses to Commit to Sanders As the Backup

Following the departure of Joe Flacco to the Bengals, Dillon Gabriel has been elevated as the starter under center in Cleveland. Prior to the trade, Gabriel even made his debut as a starter in the Browns’ week 5 matchup against the Vikings.

But, once Flacco got traded, the logical step for the backup role would be their third-string rookie quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. But when Stefanski was asked during a media session to comment on whether Sanders would take over the backup role for this week’s game, Stefanski’s reply was vague and non-committal.

“Well, first, I tell you the Joe trade took us by surprise. That was not something that we saw coming. They called us and it happened really fast and not too long ago,” said Stefanski. The Browns coach then added, “So, still working through all roster type of things. I always have to be mindful of our players and our players development.”

#Browns Kevin Stefanski will wait until later in the week to decide if Shedeur Sanders will be the No. 2 vs #Steelers: pic.twitter.com/xlp48mT1Yz
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 8, 2025

This response from Stefanski has now left doubt regarding who could be the backup in Cleveland. Although the Browns currently have only Gabriel and Sanders on the official 53-man roster, Bailey Zappe is signed to their practice squad.

Will the Browns Elevate Zappe?

As confusion amidst the quarterback room sets in following Stefanski’s response, the next question that arises is whether the Browns are considering elevating Zappe to the 53-man roster.

Stefanski also told reporters that he will let the week play out before taking any calls, so that means there is a good possibility that Zappe could make his way onto the roster. The 2022 fourth-round draft pick spent his last season with the Browns and even started their final game in week 18. Therefore, Zappe will have some knowledge about the Browns’ system and could be in the reckoning for the backup role as things stand.

Shedeur Sanders staying ready 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/2GxceoAzoE
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) October 9, 2025

What all this means for Shedeur Sanders and his future is still blurry at the moment. But one thing is for sure: if Sanders remains as the third-string QB in Cleveland, the decision will not be met positively by a major section of the NFL community.

Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns

Kevin Stefanski

NFL

Shedeur Sanders

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!