Drew Brees' ex-teammate sets the bar for Shedeur Sanders to separate himself from Browns QB pack

Shedeur Sanders is one of four quarterbacks in Cleveland eyeing the starting QB job for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns have Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders vying for the spot currently vacated by injured perennial Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson.

With OTAs underway, fans and analysts are getting the chance to see the Colorado Buffaloes product in action. Hence, Drew Brees' former teammate, Chase Daniel, has some tips on how Sanders can separate himself from the QB carousel in Cleveland.

Speaking on "The Facility ," Daniel said,

"Where I think that Shedeur (Sanders), if he is going to separate himself from the pack, it has to be during training camp, more specifically during preseason games."

The former career backup QB continued:

"Now for him to separate himself from the pack, what I take that question is can he be the starter Day 1, that is what this question is asking me for on the field when he gets back if he has a good preseason, I think it's going to take one of the greatest preseason performances of all time to vault him to start right away."

Daniel spent 14 years in the NFL. He played in 74 games, only five of which were starts. He won a Super Bowl in his rookie season as a fringe player on the Drew Brees-led New Orleans Saints.

Hence, Daniel has seen firsthand what it means to be an elite quarterback in the National Football League. Furthermore, his time spent with different franchises will give him an idea of the work ahead for Shedeur Sanders in the OTAs, training camp, and, perhaps most importantly, the preseason.

Who is Shedeur Sanders' biggest competition in training camp?

According to the ESPN depth chart, Deshaun Watson is the QB1 for the Cleveland Browns. However, Watson is likely going to miss most of (if not all) of the 2025 regular season. It leaves the other four quarterbacks with the chance to snag the starting role.

The next quarterback on the chart is Kenny Pickett, meaning that it's likely the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback's job to lose when entering training camp and preseason. Pickett is fresh off being the Philadelphia Eagles' backup shot caller in their Super Bowl-winning season in the 2024/25 campaign.

Hence, the three-year veteran is Shedeur Sanders' (and the rest of the chart's) biggest competition heading into training camp. NFL coaches are known to be hard to impress, so it'll take quite the effort for Shedeur Sanders to rise up the chart and eventually dislodge Pickett ahead of Week 1.