By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rookie Shedeur Sanders will play for the Cleveland Browns in their preseason opener Friday night against the Carolina Panthers with Tyler Huntley, who signed with team earlier this week.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he hasn’t determined yet who will start.
Joe Flacco, Cleveland’s projected starting quarterback this season, is healthy but will not play. Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel will sit out while rehabbing from injuries, Stefanski said.
Stefanski announced the news prior to the team’s joint practice against the Panthers on Wednesday morning in Charlotte.
“My expectation for Shedeur is no different than the rest of the guys,” Stefanski said. “I just expect him to go out and operate. When you get in these preseason games you try to keep it very simple so guys can play very fast. It’s all concepts that these guys know and don’t have to think too much about.”
Stefanski said he wants to determine how much of the playbook Huntley can digest before the game before determining who starts and how to split reps at quarterback.
Pickett and Gabriel were scheduled to participate in 7-on-7 drills in practice, but not team drills.
The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Sanders fell to the fifth round of the NFL draft after winning the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award following his final season playing for his father Deion Sanders at Colorado. Sanders remains fourth on the Browns’ depth chart, but injuries have increased his reps in practice. He took some reps with the second team in practice Wednesday.
Sanders has battled some recent shoulder soreness, but Stefanski said that is no longer an issue.
Sanders played two seasons at Jackson State before transferring to Colorado, where he played for two more seasons. He played in 50 games in college, completing 1,267 of 1,808 passes for 14,353 yards with 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He also ran for 17 touchdowns.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales previously said Bryce Young will start at quarterback against the Browns, a change from last year. The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick did not play in the first two preseason games last year and only saw action in one series in the preseason finale.
Canales cited having a “pretty young team,” saying he can’t pass up the chance to get players some reps and develop some chemistry.