Colin Cowherd boldly picks side as Browns HC Kevin Stefanski faces heavy backlash for pulling Shedeur Sanders in last preseason game vs. Rams

Cleveland Browns Rookie Minicamp - Source: Getty
Shedeur Sanders (left) and Kevin Stefanski (right) at the Cleveland Browns Rookie Minicamp [Image source: Getty]

The Cleveland Browns roster has dominated the headlines all offseason. The franchise flaunts a packed quarterback room that has fostered an intense competition in the locker room. Despite having stars like Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco on the roster, the Browns decided to draft rookie QBs like Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this year.

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There was a lot of chatter around the team's QB1 this season before Browns coach Kevin Stefanski announced that he is going ahead with Flacco as the starter.

The rookies did get a chance to shine during the offseason. In the preseason opener, Shedeur Sanders was selected as the starting quarterback and led his team to success against the Carolina Panthers. However, he sustained an oblique injury and was ruled out for the following game.

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Even though the QB was healthy enough to play the preseason finale against the Rams, Stefanski decided to pull the plug on Sanders' preseason stint. The veteran coach faced heavy backlash for the move.

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NFL analyst Colin Cowherd took to X on Saturday to defend the two-time NFL coach of the year. He called out people questioning the veteran coach's QB evaluation skills.

"Suddenly Penn graduate, 2x NFL coach of the year, perpetually calm in the face of chaos, Kevin Stefanski, with a couple of 11 win seasons in Cleveland of all places, doesn’t understand QB evaluation. Ok, sure. Yea, you bet," wrote Cowherd.
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Check out the tweet below:

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Flacco was always going to be the first option as the season starts. The rookies like Gabriel and Sanders would just have to wait their turn.


NFL analyst calls out Browns HC Kevin Stefanski for conspiring against Shedeur Sanders

After Kevin Stefanski benched Shedeur Sanders in the game against the Rams, NFL insider Skip Bayless accused the Browns coach of sabotaging Sanders' momentum in a video uploaded on his social media. Bayless said:

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"I’m outraged, I’m sickened. I’m saddened by the way Shedeur continues to be treated in the NFL by those sorry-a** Browns and sorry-a** Kevin Stefanski. ... They sabotaged it. They rigged it against him today, putting him in with third and fourth stringers, fifth stringers."
"This made no sense," Bayless added. "You have a rookie quarterback who needs reps in pressure situations, and you take the ball out of his hands? That’s malpractice."

It'll be interesting to see if Stefanski picks Sanders to start any games in the upcoming NFL season. But the only way that can happen is if 40-year-old Flacco fails to meet the high expectations levied on him.

Cleveland Browns Nation! Check out the latest Cleveland Browns Schedule and dive into the Browns Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Satagni Sikder
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