Shedeur Sanders to play Saturday, downplays Dillon Gabriel remark - ESPN

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 Tuesday 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