"Shedeur had a disastrous performance": Nick Wright serves reality check to Coach Prime's son as Dillon Gabriel wins Joe Flacco's backup role

NFL analyst Nick Wright says Shedeur Sanders was never going to win the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback job entering training camp.

Sanders was in a quarterback competition with Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Kenny Pickett. Cleveland ended up trading away Pickett, while Flacco was named the starter, and Gabriel will serve as his backup.

Sanders, meanwhile, did make the 53-man roster but will likely be inactive. However, Wright called out Coach Prime's son for his poor play in training camp and preseason as to why he didn't beat out Gabriel for the backup job.

"He was never going to be the Browns' starting quarterback in Week One," Wright said on his YouTube channel on Aug. 26 (2:35). "It was always the Browns' plan that of the veterans is starting and then the kids are backing him up, and all of it was going according to plan. Shedeur then suffered a slight injury which made him unable to play at all in the second preseason game.

"Gabriel then, after some really bad practices, played quite well in the second preseason game," Wright added. "Then, in the third preseason game, Gabriel played quite well again, and Shedeur had a disastrous performance. And that is now that as far as the quarterback competition goes, that is not conspiratorial. That is not unfair. That is not unjust. That is life in the NFL as a late-round draft pick. That is what happened here."

Sanders often held onto the ball too long during the preseason games, which led to sacks. That was an issue for him in college, and it remains an issue to begin his NFL tenure.

Cleveland will open its 2025 NFL season on Sept. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Browns coach defends handling of Shedeur Sanders

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanksi was criticized for not letting Shedeur Sanders play the game-winning drive.

Sanders was replaced by Tyler Huntley, who led the game-winning drive, and many took aim at Stefanski for that. However, Stefanski says he isn't going to bother with the outside noise about how he handled the quarterback situation.

"I don't concern myself with outside types of things, but I'm committed to his development, just like all of our rookies," Stefanski said, via NFL.com. "We'll continue to focus on getting our guys better, and that's what we'll stay committed to, and that's what's important to me."

Although Sanders wasn't able to finish the game, he did earn a job on the Browns' 53-man roster, as he will be Cleveland's third-string quarterback in his rookie season.