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Daniel Oyefusi
BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is expected to play in Saturday’s preseason finale at home against the Los Angeles Rams.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski also said undrafted rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond, who signed with the team Monday, will play Saturday after practicing this week.
Stefanski said Thursday that, barring a setback, Sanders would see the field. Cleveland will play its starters, including newly named starting quarterback Joe Flacco, between 20 to 25 snaps. Stefanski said rookie Dillon Gabriel would be the backup and that Sanders would play third.
Kenny Pickett returned to 11-on-11 drills Wednesday but will not play Saturday because of his lingering hamstring injury.
Sanders was held out of joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles and the second preseason game last week because of an oblique strain. He returned to team drills Wednesday and practiced again Thursday.
“Everything’s good,” Sanders said of his oblique injury.
Meanwhile, Sanders downplayed the controversy surrounding the comments that Gabriel made during an in-game interview last week, saying that Gabriel later approached him to tell him the quote was not directed at him.
When Gabriel was asked during the CBS Sports broadcast about “tuning out the noise” surrounding the Browns’ quarterback competition, Gabriel said, “Yeah, it’s just part of it. You know, there’s entertainers and there’s competitors, and I totally understand that. But my job is to compete. And that’s what I’m focused on doing.”
Gabriel’s “entertainers” comment was taken by many on social media as a reference to Sanders, who despite being selected in the fifth round — two rounds after Gabriel — has received the brighter spotlight of the two rookies. Sanders’ draft slide after being widely expected to be selected in the first round and his famous father, Colorado coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, have made him one of this season’s highest-profile NFL rookies. Gabriel said after the game that “entertainers” was in reference to the media.
“Honestly, I don’t even think about nothing. I don’t think about anything,” Sanders said when asked about the comments. “If it’s not words or anything at this point, it can’t do anything to me. I know that God put the ability and the power within me to not even think about nobody else’s comments, not care. It is what it is. I spoke with him. He told me on the plane. He came up, he was like, ‘Nah bro, that wasn’t at you.’ … I’m not tripping, regardless of whatever it was. Nobody’s words or anything affects me.”
When later asked if he believed Gabriel, Sanders said, “Do I feel like he did? I don’t know. And that’s not on me to sit here and be like, ‘Oh, he did; he didn’t.’ That’s not going to change my life in any way.”