A promising update has emerged from the Cleveland Browns' facility. Shedeur Sanders, along with the team’s other quarterbacks, has begun working out amid the starting QB battle.

ESPN Cleveland posted a short clip of Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel passing the ball around on the facility’s field.

“Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel warming up,” the caption read.

ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi also posted a picture of the Cleveland Browns, suggesting that quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been handed the first-team reps this offseason.

“Shedeur Sanders is up first taking first-team reps as the Browns break into team drills,” he wrote.

Last month, the new head coach, Todd Monken, revealed that the reps won’t be shared equally among all the quarterbacks for the upcoming season.

And when asked who the team’s frontrunner would be initially, he said it would depend on what they’ve seen in the past and last year.

Now, according to NFL reporter Jori Epstein, Monken said that the team has structured the QB1 reps in this offseason practice for both Sanders and Watson in a way that allows Sanders to get the majority of them.

This suggests that the franchise has high hopes for him, which makes sense, as Shedeur Sanders brought home 3 out of the Cleveland Browns’ 5 wins in just 8 games, earning his first Pro Bowl selection.

He took up the role of starting QB when his fellow rookie, Dillon Gabriel, suffered a concussion in Week 11.

However, there is still a chance that the Browns might consider Deshaun Watson or Dillon Gabriel for their QB1 role.

Is Shedeur Sanders Set To Be The Browns’ QB1?

Deshaun Watson signed a five-year, $230M contract with the Cleveland Browns, and his contract has been restructured multiple times. This shows the team still has confidence in him. Still, his contribution hasn’t been up to the mark.

However, on April 21, the Browns opened their voluntary minicamp, and along with Sanders, Watson also received reps in 11-on-11 team periods.

And it was reported that Watson had been showing sharp agility and arm strength throughout, despite undergoing surgery for a re-ruptured right Achilles tendon.

Meanwhile, Monken hasn’t completely ruled out Dillon Gabriel or other options.

“I wouldn't say it’s a two-man race,” Monken said. “I would just say that at every position, there’s competition. Irrespective of the reps they get, which I’ve said before, everybody ought to be competing.”

It seems Sanders might have the upper hand here, but nothing is set in stone yet.

Read more at the Cleveland Browns Community!

Written by

Monika Khatai

Edited by

Kalp Thaker