The Browns’ quarterback room has struggled with staying healthy. First, it was Kenny Pickett with a hamstring injury, and then rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel picked up a hamstring injury of his own.
Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders started Cleveland’s first preseason game and had fans ready to name him the starter for Week 1. The Browns then released an unofficial depth chart following the game, and Sanders was again listed as the fourth quarterback. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Sanders would start the team’s second preseason game against the Eagles if Pickett and Gabriel were ruled out.
Hours after Stefanski’s message, Sanders was said to have missed the remainder of practice because he picked up an oblique injury.
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Here are the latest updates on Sanders’ injury.
Shedeur Sanders injury update
The injury to Sanders is said to have happened during the throwing portion of practice. He will undergo an evaluation to determine the severity of the injury. It could be the reason that he doesn’t play in the second preseason game against Philadelphia.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders suffered an oblique injury while throwing during the early portion of practice today, and was held out for the rest of the session.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2025
Further testing showed that Sanders suffered an oblique strain, and he is now being considered day-to-day, per Schefter.
After not playing in the Browns’ second preseason game, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that he is hopeful that both Sanders and Pickett will be able to ramp up their activity in practice.
MORE SHEDEUR SANDERS: Grading Shedeur Sanders’ preseason debut
If these injuries for the quarterbacks linger into the regular season, Cleveland could be faced with a situation where 40-year-old Joe Flacco is starting because he is the only healthy quarterback on the roster.
Stefanski said in a media scrum that the Browns are “going to put him [Sanders] down for a little bit here. We’ll treat it day-to-day.”
Kevin Stefanski says Shedeur Sanders won’t practice today.
“We’re going to put him down for a little bit here. We’ll treat it day-to-day.”
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) August 14, 2025
Browns QB Depth chart
| Position | Player Name |
| 1 | Joe Flacco |
| 2 | Kenny Pickett |
| 3 | Dillon Gabriel |
| 4 | Shedeur Sanders |
| 5 | Tyler Huntley |
There has been a lot of discussion not only about who the starter for the Browns will be in Week 1, but also a conversation about how many quarterbacks they will carry into the season.
Flacco is the presumed starter. Partially because he isn’t playing in the preseason, but also because he is the most experienced. With the Browns rebuilding, though, it could make more sense to have Gabriel or Sanders play to get NFL reps, and start to develop for the future.
Pickett feels like the odd man out, but could make the roster if Gabriel or Sanders are added to the practice squad. Gabriel being listed ahead of Sanders has been a consistent head-scratcher for fans since he hasn’t done much of anything to warrant the placement.
Huntley is listed on the depth chart, but he was signed when the Browns needed an extra body for their preseason game. He is the most likely to be released ahead of the regular season, and his playing his way into a roster spot would actually be one of the more shocking outcomes of the preseason.
MORE BROWNS: Browns preseason quarterback battle tracker
Will Sanders play vs. Eagles?
Stefanski said that Sanders would be the starter on Saturday if Pickett and Gabriel were unable to play. Despite the rookie playing well in his preseason debut, the Browns’ head coach wants to get reps for all of the backups to help determine who makes the team. With Sanders’ injury, all three could be sidelined and Huntley could be the guy that gets all of the reps in Cleveland’s second of only three preseason games.
With further testing done on Wednesday, Sanders was found to have suffered an oblique strain. He is considered day-to-day, will not practice on Thursday, and is now not expected to play against Philadelphia in the Browns’ second preseason game.
This article will be updated.
