Shedeur Sanders expected to start Browns' first preseason game vs Panthers: report

Danny Parkins reacts to Deion Sanders sharing on The Michael Irvin Podcast that Shedeur told him not to visit Cleveland Browns training camp amid the ongoing QB1 battle.

Shedeur Sanders may be fourth string on the unofficial Browns depth chart right now, but he's getting the nod to start their first preseason game on Friday night. 

With Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel both dealing with hamstring injuries, Cleveland.com reported on Tuesday that Sanders is expected to be the first quarterback under center against the Carolina Panthers on the road. 

Sanders said on Monday that he didn’t want to see his father, Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, at practice yet due to not taking any first-team reps. But his father has something to watch right away when the Browns kick off on Friday night.

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders warms up during a practice at the team's NFL football training camp Friday, July 25, 2025, in Berea, Ohio.  (David Richard/AP Photo)

"I don't want him to see me get a couple reps, and he's cheering like a good dad," Sanders said on Monday to reporters, the first time he spoke since his father revealed battling bladder cancer this offseason. "Like, nah, you can't be proud of me right now. I've got to get to where I'm going, and I know it's a lot I've got to do to get there.

Sanders added that it’s "a gift and a curse" having an NFL legend father, because while it would be nice to have that support in person, he knows how it would be for those on the outside. 

SHEDEUR SANDERS EXPLAINS WHY HE TOLD HALL OF FAME DAD DEION SANDERS TO STAY AWAY FROM BROWNS' TRAINING CAMP

"We know how everybody would take it, as taking away