Browns Make Shedeur Sanders Announcement After Flacco Trade
The Cleveland Browns have announced their first unofficial depth chart following the trade of Joe Flacco and it appears that Shedeur Sanders got a long-awaited promotion.
Sanders is listed as the primary backup to Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart. He has served as the emergency No. 3 quarterback on game days through the first five weeks. Sanders would have only been able to enter the game if both Flacco and Gabriel were injured.
The depth chart is unofficial, so plans could change later in the week. The Browns still have Bailey Zappe on the practice squad and could choose to activate the 26-year-old to serve as the backup.
The Browns are familiar with Zappe, as he spent part of last season with the team and even started the season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. He completed 51% of his passes in that game for 170 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Browns lost 35-10. Zappe spent the preseason with the Kansas City Chiefs, completing 15 of 27 passes for 104 yards with two interceptions in three games.
Zappe also has eight starts on his resume from his time with the New England Patriots.
Browns Told Shedeur Sanders to Keep Working
The Browns have treated Sanders — a fifth-round pick — as a developmental prospect. However, Sanders feels like he could make an impact if given the opportunity.
“I know if you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that,” Sanders said in September. “(There’s) obvious a lot of teams would be playing me, but that’s not in God’s plan right now. And some things happen for a reason and I’m a true believer in that. And whatever his plan for me is I believe in it. So I don’t be stressed or feel bad that I’m in the situation I’m in right now. It’s just funny to me and I just enjoy it.”
The Browns‘ advice to Sanders was simply to keep working.
“All of our players, and I include Shedeur in this, are working extremely hard. We just finished our period after practice that we do every single day, just finished a red zone 7-on-7 period where Shedeur and the rest of the younger guys are working on 10 reps,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said last week. “So, he needs to continue to do exactly what he’s been doing and continue to do what all these guys are doing, which is just keep working.”
Ex-Browns Joe Flacco Didn’t Ask for Trade to Bengals
The Browns benched Flacco ahead of Week 5 and chose to go with Gabriel. Flacco continued to serve as the backup and the team valued his leadership.
“I think the best way to help him is just continue to come to work, you know, with a good mindset every day and provide that positive energy and see what he needs on his end,” Flacco said after being benched.
Flacco now gets an opportunity to keep his career going in Cincinnati after a rough 1-3 start in Cleveland. He didn’t ask for a trade but was open to it after losing his starting job, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com
“Flacco didn’t ask for the trade, but he certainly welcomed it when the Browns talked to him about it on Tuesday,” Cabot said. The last thing he wanted to do was ride the bench here for the rest of the season, with the Browns needing to see what they have in their two rookies, Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, before the 2026 draft.
The Bengals are likely to start Flacco this week against the Green Bay Packers. Flacco’s lone win this season came against Green Bay.
Tampa Bay Lightning Announce 2025-26 Opening Night Roster
The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced their opening night roster for the 2025-26 season. The lineup consists of many of the same stars fans have gotten to know, along with a few new faces.
A couple of notable additions are prospect forward Jack Finley and free-agent pickup Pontus Holmberg. Forward Curtis Douglas was added recently as a waiver claim. Defenseman Max Crozier, who has played 18 career NHL games over the last two seasons with the Lightning, cracked the roster to start things off as well.
The Lightning will also notably roll with a third goalie on the roster. Pheonix Copley was picked up off waivers last week, and he could potentially help fill gaps where starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy might need extra rest.
As reported previously, Nick Paul will be absent for the first month or so of the season. They’ll be without Zemgus Girgensons as well.
Here is the breakdown of the roster as the Lightning look to not just make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth season in a row, but make it past the first round since they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2022.
Lightning 2025-26 Opening Night Roster
Forwards (13): Oliver Borkstrand, Mitchell Chaffee, Anthony Cirelli, Curtis Douglas, Jack Finley, Conor Geekie, Gage Goncalves, Yanni Gourde, Jake Guentzel, Bandon Hagel, Pontus Holmberg, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point
Defensemen (7): Erik Cernak, Max Crozier, Victor Hedman, Emil Lilleberg, Ryan McDonagh, JJ Moser, Darren Raddysh
Goalies (3): Pheonix Copley, Jonas Johansson, Andrei Vasilevskiy
Injured and/or Non-Roster: Zemgus Girgensons (IR), Niko Huuhtanen (IR/NR), Nick Paul (IR)
Those who are new to the roster will aim to provide the Lightning with the depth they have been lacking over the last couple of seasons, most notably in the bottom six. The Lightning will open the season on Thursday, Oct. 9, when they host the Ottawa Senators at the newly named Benchmark International Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
Emmy Award-wining, behind the scenes series, 'Recharge', set to return for a seventh season tomorrow night
Episode 1 will debut on the Lightning's YouTube channel at 5 p.m.
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Emmy Award-winning behind the scenes series, Recharge, returns for a seventh season this week. Episode 1 of the season, entitled “Another Go,” will debut on
The season premiere immerses fans in the latest chapter of the Bolts’ journey as head coach Jon Cooper enters his 13th full season leading the team. With consistency as a guiding principle, the Lightning return with a roster largely intact from last year’s campaign. “Another Go” introduces fans to some of the new faces in Tampa Bay, including forward Pontus Holmberg and the newest addition to the coaching staff, Dan Hinote.
Fans will follow the Bolts beyond the rink as Recharge takes them inside George M. Steinbrenner Field for Victor Hedman’s ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays’ matchup with the Boston Red Sox. The team also had the chance to explore the facilities and take some swings in the batting cages at the Rays’ temporary home.
The episode also dives into the team’s franchise-best 6-0-0 start to the preseason and the tools needed to continue its strong play into the regular season. One of which is the Lightning power play, led by reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov.
Viewers will get an intimate look into the lives of players off the ice, including forward Jake Guentzel, who reflects on settling his family into Tampa and the camaraderie of a roster now wearing the Lightning bolt for another season together. With minimal roster turnover, expectations remain high for the Lightning as the team embarks on the 2025-26 campaign.
Fans can go back and relive all the magic and stories from previous seasons of Recharge by visiting HERE on TampaBayLightning.com.
