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. <\/p>
However, for Browns’ head coach, Kevin Stefanski, that is not a foregone conclusion, giving rise to confusion amongst the fanbase.<\/p>
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<\/a> matchup against the Vikings. <\/p> 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. <\/p> “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,”<\/em> 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.”<\/em> <\/p>