Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback, will remain the starter against the San Francisco 49ers even after fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel cleared the concussion protocol on Monday. In light of this news, Sanders recently addressed his current relationship with the head coach, Kevin Stefanski.

“He’s been doing a very great job with everything that’s going on,” Sanders stated in a recent segment on 92.3 The Fan. “We’ve definitely grown…our relationship has grown.”

It would seem that there is improved communication and trust between the two heading into week 13. Sanders also shared positive views about Dillon Gabriel, the Browns’ third-round pick, who returns after clearing concussion protocol.

“He’s a hard worker. He’s the same guy. He knows how to bond and mesh with different people,” Sanders said. “Since he’s been back, he’s been good. He’s been cool throughout everything.”

On November 23, 2025, Shedeur Sanders made his first NFL start in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders in the absence of Dillon Gabriel. After a commanding win, Sanders demonstrated his confidence: “A lot of people want to see me fail, and it ain’t going to happen.”

He delivered an impressive performance, completing 11 of 20 completions for 209 yards and threw for a single touchdown and an interception.

Shedeur Sanders also became the first Browns starting QB to win his first NFL start since Eric Zeier in 1995. He ended a 17-game losing streak by Cleveland QBs making their NFL debut. (the longest since 1950).

After the matchup, Stefanski had initially refused to speak on his Week 13 plans. “I’m not going to get into that. Obviously, I’m proud of him and the offense, and there are many lessons to learn from this. But I’m focused on today. I intend to take my time and do what’s best for the football team,” Stefanski said to the reporters on Sunday.

But later on Monday he made the final decision to start Sanders after questions were raised about Dillon Gabriel’s trajectory.

Shedeur Sanders pushes ahead in QB race, leaving Gabriel’s role uncertain

Gabriel was chosen as the Browns’ QB1 after Joe Flacco was benched in Week 5. He made significant strides but could not cement his position in the depth chart.

When Kevin Stefanski was asked whether Shedeur Sanders’ starting role would be evaluated on a weekly basis, the coach didn’t bite. He shut down any long-term speculation with a simple response: “I’m just going to focus on this week. Not going to get much past this week.”

Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot has also provided a blunt assessment of Gabriel’s remaining prospects on 92.3 The Fan:​

“If Shedeur is getting the job done, Dillon might not get back on the field. There might come a point where it makes sense to see a little bit more of him. But, I think the hope inside the building is probably, ‘let’s not let it get to that point.'”

Across his eight games, Gabriel has completed 109 of 184 passes with a 59.2% completion percentage. He has recorded 7 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. With Sanders now holding the starting job and Gabriel stuck on standby, the real question becomes, how long will Stefanski stick with his decision?