Shedeur Sanders a long shot to be Browns’ Week 1 starting quarterback

Oddsmakers are giving Shedeur Sanders little shot at starting Week 1 for the Browns. 

With one preseason game in the books, veteran Joe Flacco is a heavy -310 favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook Canada to be Cleveland’s starting quarterback in their season opener against the Bengals, followed by Kenny Pickett at +360.

Sanders, who is likely to miss the Browns’ second preseason game against the Eagles on Saturday with an oblique strain, is a +1060 long shot to lead the team on the field in Week 1. 

Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, is 18/1 to get the job. 

Sanders impressed in the Browns’ first preseason game in Carolina, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. 

Just days before the injury, Sanders had gotten the most reps he’s had in a practice and was expected to play a big role in the game against Philadelphia. 

Flacco, 40, is the expected starter after throwing for 1,761 yards and 12 touchdowns with seven interceptions across eight games (six starts) with the Colts last season. 

In 2023, Flacco won the Comeback Player of the Year award with the Browns and started the team’s Wild Card game loss to the Texans. 

Despite Sanders being highly unlikely to play off the bat, bettors are flocking to him to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. 

Sanders has 17.7 percent of the handle to win it at BetMGM Sportsbook, which is more than five percentage points higher than the next best rookie, Ashton Jeanty, who has received 12.4 percent of the money.

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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.