The NFL preseason is over, and roster cuts are next. For the Cleveland Browns, that means deciding how many quarterbacks to keep — and whether rookie Shedeur Sanders will be among them.
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Sanders, taken in the fifth round of April's draft, is still listed as the Browns' fourth-string quarterback. But after the preseason finale, he made clear he feels he has earned his spot.
"Obviously. I think, overall as a player, I've put in the work," Sanders told reporters, via the team. "I feel like everything I do, I try to do it to my best and that's all I can ask for. I feel like everybody feels like they should be on the team. If you ask anybody on the team, would they feel like they belong? They belong in their own eyes. I feel like I do, but I'm my own player. I think about myself in a high regard. Of course, it's not my decision."
Sanders also said, per ESPN, that he still hopes to "be a player to be able to change a franchise." That dream may not happen quickly in Cleveland, where Joe Flacco is the starter and veteran Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel are competing with Sanders for backup spots.
One factor working in Sanders' favor is the front office. General manager Andrew Berry has acknowledged the team is considering carrying four quarterbacks, even though it would leave the Browns thin elsewhere. That could mean a spot for Sanders, even if it comes at the bottom of the depth chart.
For now, Sanders is under contract with Cleveland for four years. His long-term outlook will depend on how the Browns view him and whether another team sees potential down the line.
Making the 53-man roster is only the first hurdle. But Sanders has made it clear he believes he belongs — even if the chance to prove it on Sundays remains a long way off.
