Browns' Joe Flacco discusses how Shedeur Sanders has grown ahead of preseason opener

2025 fifth-round draft pick Shedeur Sanders will serve as the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback for their preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers this coming Friday night. 

That said, veteran Joe Flacco appears to be comfortably atop the Cleveland depth chart as it pertains to the club's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. While speaking with reporters after the Browns' joint practice with the Panthers on Wednesday, Flacco was asked about how Sanders has grown since the start of springtime workouts. 

"I think he’s come in from day one with a pretty good head on his shoulders, pretty good method about how he thinks he should do things," Flacco said about Sanders, per the Browns' website. "And I think we’ve all been in that room together and all picked up little things from each other. So, I think he’s just staying the course and continuing to try to grab a thing here."

Sanders is fourth on the Browns' depth chart but is getting the nod for the Carolina game because fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel and presumed backup Kenny Pickett were recently slowed by hamstring injuries they picked up during training-camp practices. Journeyman Tyler Huntley is also on track to see action versus the Panthers as Cleveland attempts to keep Flacco healthy for the regular season. 

It's believed the Browns could carry four quarterbacks on their active roster through the fall. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Flacco as a -265 betting favorite to start for the Browns against the Bengals on the first Sunday of September. While Flacco has been tasked with mentoring his younger teammates this summer, the 40-year-old once again made it clear on Wednesday he wants to play for as long as he can remain in Cleveland's lineup. 

"We play to play," Flacco added during his comments. "That’s what gets us all going. ...When you’re out in the grass in practice, you can remind yourself, 'Wow, this is cool that we’re out here,' but the end goal is to be the guy on the field playing the football games. That’s why we all do it. That’s as simple as it gets."

Flacco also acknowledged it will be "exciting" to see Sanders face an opposing defense during a game for the first time. It certainly seems as if the one-time Super Bowl MVP knows he won't be losing his job to a rookie anytime soon.