NFL. Jimmy Haslam's grandchildren are mistaken for young fans wearing Shedeur Sanders T-shirts

Shedeur Sanders is not having the rookie season he dreamed of with the Cleveland Browns. Just when he thought that after being selected 144th overall, things couldn't get any worse, he ended up as a backup to Joe Flacco and Dillion Gabriel.

The departure of the 40-year-old veteran quarterback to the Cincinnati Bengals didn't help either, as head coach Kevin Stefanski decided that the former Oregon Ducks player would take over as QB1. And now he has explained the reasons for his decision.

The Browns have had the third-round rookie as QB1 since Week 5, when they faced and lost 21-17 to the Minnesota Vikings. Since then, they lost again to the Pittsburgh Steelers (23-9), but managed to beat the Miami Dolphins (31-6) last Sunday.

However, the difference is that when Joe was still in Cleveland, Dillon sometimes played with the first team. Sanders, on the other hand, has yet to see any playing time.

The team's coach was asked about this situation and his response was direct:

"With a young quarterback, with Dillon starting, you want to make sure he gets a lot of the reps. It's different when you have a veteran with Joe," Stefanski argued, assuring that Sanders is "still getting reps in a bunch of periods."

Despite the victory and the support of the 43-year-old coach, Gabriel continues to receive criticism due to his modest statistics. In five games, three as a starter, he has accumulated 546 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. In addition, Gabriel's completion percentage is below 60%.

On the other hand, Tommy Rees, the team's offensive coordinator, said Sanders was "doing a nice job in his preparation and understanding what the game plan holds," and continues to receive praise from the coaching staff, increasing tensions at the position.

Meanwhile, on Sunday the 26th, the Browns will travel to face Drake Maye and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.