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By Max Dible
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Cleveland Browns traded Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday morning, but that won't necessarily lead to the promotion most are expecting for quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Browns insider Brad Stainbrook took to social media following the news on Tuesday, and reported that Sanders is now Cleveland's QB2 behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
“Shedeur Sanders is the new backup in Cleveland. #Browns,” Stainbrook wrote on X.
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But that assertion was questioned by others around the team, who took a less certain stance on Sanders' status. The variable in question is the presence of fourth-year signal-caller Bailey Zappe on the practice squad.
Read More: Shedeur Sanders Breaks Silence on Browns’ Rumored QB Plans
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"Flacco, 40, was no longer in [the Browns'] plans," Zac Jackson and Dianna Russini of The Athletic wrote. "Cleveland will likely promote Bailey Zappe from their practice squad, and we’ll see later in the week if rookie Shedeur Sanders will move up from emergency quarterback and third on the depth chart or if Zappe will become the primary backup."
Zappe was a fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 2022 NFL draft. He has played in 15 career games and earned nine starts (4-5). Zappe has amassed 2,223 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during his time in the league.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on October 4 explained the rationale for why the Browns kept Sanders as the emergency QB after demoting Flacco in favor of Dillon Gabriel ahead of the team's Week 5 contest against the Minnesota Vikings.
Should Cleveland choose Zappe as QB2 instead of Sanders, at least for the time being, the reasoning would likely be the same.
"The Browns want Sanders to be successful when he’s out there. When he plays, they want him to do so with a game plan that is made for him to thrive. As the backup, if he was forced into action, he’d be running a game plan built for Gabriel rather than one built to his strengths," Rapoport wrote. "The expectation is that Sanders will play at some point this season, when he’s ready. When he does play, it would be with a full week of practice and a game plan built for him."
The Browns traded Flacco and a sixth-round selection to the Bengals in return for a fifth-round pick.
Read More: Bengals’ Zac Taylor Hint at Potential QB Change Ahead of Packers Game
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