The Cleveland Browns quarterback battle continues.
After Sheduer Sanders suffered a setback in his aim to become the No.1 signal caller with an injury, fellow rookie Dillion Gabriel will now get his chance to impress.
Who is starting for the Browns against the Eagles?
Gabriel is expected to start against the Philadelphia Eagles as the Browns play their second preseason game.
After Sanders dominated headlines with his stunning performance against the Carolina Panthers, Gabriel, who has struggled with his hamstring, hopes to leave a similar impression.
Veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett will not play this week, along with Sanders.
Flacco, who is entering his 17th season, is not expected to feature in preseason, while Pickett is also suffering from a hamstring injury, and Sanders is day-to-day with his oblique injury.
It leaves the door open for Tyler Huntley, who was signed less than two weeks ago, to get some minutes against the Eagles if Gabriel leaves the field.
Sanders’ injury and Gabriel starting will serve as a major blow to the former Colorado superstar, who would have hoped to strengthen his case to rise up the QB depth chart after his impressive performance against the Panthers.
And while Sanders could play in the third preseason game on Aug. 23, oblique injuries can linger, so it’s not known if he will be ready or healthy enough to play his best.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanksi told reporters that he only expects Sanders to be out for a “little bit.”
“Yeah, he felt it early, I think warming up, and then felt it throughout. You know, if it’s a right guard, you can play through that,” Stefanski said.
“When it’s a quarterback, you kind of need that muscle to throw. So, unfortunately, gonna put him down for a little bit here.”
As Stefanski deals with a quarterback room that consists of two veterans and two rookies, the head coach will have his work cut out for him when deciding the order of these signal-callers.
Especially when considering that when the regular season starts, some of the quarterbacks won’t be getting normal practice reps.
For NFL fans enthralled by the quarterback saga in Cleveland, the Browns have been documenting the competition.
The team announced a new YouTube series called “Man Under Center,” meaning fans can get a closer look into the battle between Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders.
On the Browns’ most recent depth chart, Flacco was the starter, followed by Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders.
And The Athletic’s Zac Jackson reported earlier this month that Flacco is the clear favorite to win the starting job ahead of Week 1.
Importantly, there is still a lot of time left for things to change.
It’s not impossible that Sanders, who is doing everything to stand out, like partaking in a midnight workout and hiring a specialist quarterback coach, could climb up a few places from QB4.
Or Gabriel, who plays against the Eagles today, could displace the two veterans ahead of him on the chart.
Whatever happens, this quarterback battle will serve up more storylines alongside everything that happens on the football field.