Colin Cowherd boldly picks a 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 intense competition. Despite having established veterans like Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, the Browns drafted rookies 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 last week that he is going ahead with Flacco as the Week 1 starter.

The rookies got a chance to shine during the offseason. In the preseason opener, Shedeur Sanders stated 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 LA Rams, Stefanski pulled the plug on Sanders' preseason stint for what turned out to be the game-winning drive. The veteran coach faced heavy backlash for the move.

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NFL analyst Colin Cowherd defended the two-time NFL Coach of the Year with a post on X. He called out people questioning Stefanski'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," Cowherd wrote.
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Flacco was always going to be the first option as the season starts. The rookies like Gabriel and Sanders will have to wait their turn.


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

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

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"I’m outraged. I’m sickened," Bayless said. "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. 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 this 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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