Shedeur Sanders might not even be active for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 1 opener. Yeah, you read that right. This is a bombshell dropped by head coach Todd Monken that has the entire league buzzing, especially after everyone assumed Sanders would easily slide into the backup QB role behind Deshaun Watson. It’s a classic Browns move, flipping expectations on their head right before the season kicks off.
Coach Monken’s Wild Card Play and the Emergency QB Twist
Browns head coach Todd Monken laid it all out on Monday, according to Mary Kay Cabot, making it clear Sanders could be inactive for the regular season opener. The reason? The Browns are apparently cooking up a “special package” of plays for rookie signal-caller Taylen Green. Monken himself said, “Could be,” when asked about the possibility of having a package for the “uber-athletic quarterback.” Then, when pressed on having three QBs active, Monken just shot back with, “Three’s a lot.” So, if they want Green on the field for these specific plays, Sanders gets benched even harder, stuck on the inactive list.
What’s wild is that Sanders could *still* play if he’s inactive, but it’d take a whole lot going wrong. He’d have to be designated as the emergency third quarterback, meaning both Watson and Green would need to get hurt before Sanders could even step onto the turf. You know Sanders can’t be thrilled at the thought of being sidelined just so a rookie can run a few trick plays.
Gamesmanship or Peak Browns Ball?
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi is out there wondering if this is all just typical coach gamesmanship from Monken, trying to mess with opponents. Oyefusi wrote, “The Browns like Green, and I know weird things happen in Cleveland, but let’s also remember Green went days without taking reps in training camp and only played the second half of a preseason finale.” It’s a fair point. How much of a “package” can you realistically have for a guy who barely saw the field in the preseason?
But then you remember this is the Browns we’re talking about, and honestly, you just can’t rule anything out with them. Taylen Green, a 2026 sixth-round pick out of Arkansas, is definitely an athlete. The dude runs a 4.36 40-yard dash. In his final college season, he racked up 2,714 passing yards with 19 touchdowns against 11 picks, plus 777 rushing yards and eight more scores. Even with modest preseason stats , 5-of-7 for 27 yards passing and 66 rushing yards on eight carries, all in one game , the Browns are clearly hyped about his athleticism. So, is it a smokescreen or are they really about to sideline their backup QB for a few gadget plays from a sixth-rounder in Week 1? The Browns are gonna Browns, I guess.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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