Shedeur Sanders will be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Friday in their preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. Sanders is the Browns' fourth-string QB, but will take the field with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel unavailable. Tyler Huntley, who joined the team this week, is behind Sanders on the depth chart.Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski expects Sanders to get about 50 plays. Sanders' father, Deion Sanders, who coached him from high school through college at Jackson State and Colorado, won’t be on the sidelines for the first time in years.Talking to the media on Friday, Coach Prime said it would feel strange not being present, but he believes in his son’s ability.“He's so prepared right now," he said. "A lot of people are approaching it like a preseason game. He's approaching it like a game, and that's how he's always approached everything, to prepare and approach it like this is it. He's thankful and appreciative of the opportunity. … I can't wait to see him play."... I'm praying for him, and God has set him up and placed him in the perfect position that he needs to be. He’s going to be a problem out there tonight, though, I promise you that.”Why the preseason is important for Shedeur SandersShedeur Sanders was selected in the fifth round of the NFL draft, far lower than many projected after he broke numerous school records at Colorado and even had his jersey number retired.In Cleveland, Sanders has found himself buried in the depth chart behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel.Sanders has had limited work during training camp. He's rotated in with different offensive and defensive groups, taking snaps from a mix of centers and throwing to multiple receivers during team drills. He stayed after practices to get extra work in."My expectations for Shedeur are not different than the rest of the guys, honestly," Kevin Stefanski said on Wednesday. "We expect him to go operate. When you get into these preseason games, you try and keep it very simple so guys can play fast. All concepts that our players know and not think too much and just play ball."Stefanski’s comment aside, this game carries added weight for Shedeur Sanders. A good performance might lead to more opportunities in Cleveland, but if he underperforms, his chances may be limited moving forward.