Bayless's Claims
Sports analyst Skip Bayless has spoken out about the Cleveland Browns' quarterback situation, claiming that rookie Shedeur Sanders has been "buried" at the bottom of the team's quarterback room. In a video posted to social media, Bayless argued that Sanders has fallen behind Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and rookie Taylen Green in the eyes of Cleveland's coaching staff.
"Shedeur is stuck on a franchise that now I believe ranks him their fourth-best quarterback in their building," Bayless said. "They have now stashed Dillon Gabriel, former third-round pick in Shedeur's draft. He'd already gone in the third when they took Shedeur as a complete afterthought."
Bayless also suggested that Browns head coach Todd Monken does not value Sanders. "Todd Monken clearly does not value him. Trust me on this," he said. "They took Taylen Green this year, a rookie in the sixth round. I like Taylen Green. I watched him a lot at Arkansas. I watched him a little bit at Boise State. He's got huge potential because he can fly at 6-foot-6. I'm sure Monken is very intrigued with him as their project quarterback over Shedeur. I know he loves Dillon Gabriel as his quality backup quarterback. He's No. 2. So what am I supposed to do with this? It's just so sad."
Call for Release
Bayless called for the Browns to release Sanders, saying "Shedeur is imprisoned in Cleveland." In comments reported by Newsweek, Bayless expressed his frustration with the situation. "It's just so sad," he said. "Shedeur is like imprisoned in Cleveland. I wanted them to at the very least, just cut him. He's going to have to find a new home somewhere where somebody really likes him, where somebody says, 'I want him. I was afraid to say it when he was coming out but I actually like him.' There's somebody out there who actually likes him. I know it. I believe it with all my heart and soul."
Bayless also insinuated that Monken has taken shots at Sanders when praising Gabriel for his ability to operate the offense. He further claimed that the Browns drafted Sanders for publicity and jersey sales rather than to become the starter. "It's just so wrong," Bayless said. "It's just so nauseating for me. It's so disgusting. It's so absolutely wrong that it rips my guts out to watch the league continue to do this to Shedeur Sanders."
Browns' Roster Decisions
The Browns decided not to make any cuts at the quarterback position when they trimmed the roster to 53 players. Watson is set to start Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Sanders and Green are expected to split scout-team reps. Gabriel is on injured reserve with a back injury he suffered in Thursday night's preseason game against the New England Patriots and will miss at least the first month of the season.
Gabriel strengthened his case for a role with a dominant preseason finale, completing 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns during the first half of Cleveland's 37-13 win. Monken praised Gabriel's preparation and confidence after the performance. Gabriel went 1-5 as a rookie starter, completing 59.5% of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions. Sanders went 3-4 in seven starts, completing 68% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Monken said the team liked all four quarterbacks and "certainly didn't want to lose any of them" while discussing its roster decisions. Despite Bayless's claims, Sanders has not been moved down the depth chart and is expected to be next up if Watson falters as the starter.