Shedeur Sanders snubbed for Dillon Gabriel and Joe Flacco over one key reason as calls to fire Browns head coach intensify

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Shedeur Sanders is in limbo.Calls have grown for the rookie quarterback to find a team that will give him playing time after the Cleveland Browns‘ continue to overlook the former Colorado Buffaloes star.Sanders continuesto lurk in the shadows as he waits for his NFL debutGettyCriticism has intensified for the Browns after keeping Sanders as their third-string quarterback despite demoting Joe Flacco for fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.It’s led to weeks of speculation about Shedeur‘s future despite Sanders believing he is “ready to play”, having said so himself.However, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, there is one reason why the Browns are yet to give Sanders any NFL minutes.“The Browns want Sanders to be successful when he’s out there. When he plays, they want him to do so with a game plan that is made for him to thrive,” Rapoport writes.“As the backup, if he was forced into action, he’d be running a game plan built for Gabriel, rather than one built to his strengths. Is that fair to Sanders?”Rapoport added that Sanders has improved since his arrival in Cleveland, who selected him with the 144th pick in April’s draft after a stunning slide.But it’s clear Sanders, who’s remained behind Gabriel and Flacco throughout the preseason and first five weeks of the campaign, has a long way to go to see meaningful snaps.Fans online don’t seem to be buying the Browns’ explanation for Sanders’ lack of action after Rapoport’s report went viral.“Shedeur came into the league ready. What exactly are they developing because they can never put a name to what they are referring to,” one user wrote on X.“Excuses for mistreating Shedeur, when they know he’s better than all the other QBs,” another user wrote.Dillon Gabriel held his own against the Vikings but that didn’t stop the Browns from losingGETTYJoe Flacco was dropped after four games as the veteran failed to replicate his 2023 formGETTY“Why hasn’t the Brown coaching staff found a package for Sanders?” another user wrote on X.Rapoport did add that the Browns expect to start Sanders at some point this season, although when largely depends on how Gabriel continues to perform.Kevin Stefanski under pressure after defeat to Vikings in LondonThe Browns continue to burn through quarterbacks, with Gabriel becoming their 41st starting signal caller since 1999 – the most in the league over this period.And one person feeling the pressure is head coach Kevin Stefanski, who saw him team suffer a 21-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikingsin London over the weekend which leaves them 1-4 on the season.Gabriel went 19/33 for 190 yards and two touchdowns, without any turnovers in his first NFL start, but the jury is still out on his long-term suitability as a starting NFL signal caller.Furthermore, the manner of the defeat (the Browns led at half time and in the fourth-quarter) has led to some fans calling for Stefanski’s job.The two-time Coach of the Year’s time management was far from ideal as after the Browns let the Vikings score a touchdown with 25 seconds left, they then tried to go for a chunk play to go out of bounds with seven seconds left.Kevin Stefanski is under pressure as the Browns fail to build any conisnitnecyGETTYThe gamble failed and was extremely risky considering they had no timeouts left.“Seriously, fire Kevin Stefanski before he boards the plane. Leave him in England. He called TWO timeouts with 1:10 left in the game, Vikings ball, with Minnesota needing to go 27 yards with only 1 TO left. He literally helped them out by stopping the clock. Worst clock mgt ever,” one fan wrote on X.“Fire Stefanski, another game we’ve lost because of him,” another fan wrote.“What has gone right for Stefanski, he has been embrasing himself all season long,” one fan poted.While it’s unlikely that the Browns will get rid off their head coach anytime soon, should Cleveland keep losing, there is no doubt that the calls to fire him might get too loud to ignore.Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.