The Cleveland Browns have not waited to name their Week 12 starting quarterback against the Las Vegas Raiders.
With Dillon Gabriel still in the concussion protocol, the Browns will turn to their third different starting quarterback this season, naming Shedeur Sanders their headliner. Naming Sanders this early as the starter allows for him to get the full week’s worth of reps with the first-team offense, as Gabriel has still yet to be cleared for practice.
Sanders, who made his NFL debut last week, went 4-of-16 passing for 49 yards, threw an interception, and took two sacks. There is, however, a difference between entering a game midway through as a backup versus being gameplanned as the starter with a full week of reps, so we will see how much one week makes a difference for Sanders.
The Browns currently hold the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, so they are going to find out rather quickly if that pick needs to be used on one of Oregon’s Dante Moore or Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza by season’s end.
The Raiders are a one-win team, so this is a favorable matchup for Sanders to get his feet wet on Sunday. Let’s see how this goes.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns name Shedeur Sanders starter vs. Raiders
