Former Eagles QB's unfortunate injury opens the door for Shedeur Sanders

USA Today

4 days ago

One of the more talked-about NFL rookies could get his shot, potentially, as a former Eagles QB suffers an unfortunate injury.
Wally Pipp never played a down for the Philadelphia Eagles, but we are all familiar with his story. Sometimes, he is inaccurately described as a man who lost his job due to an injury. The truth is that it only tells half of the story. Pipp asked for a day off because of a headache on June 2, 1925. Lou Gehrig stepped in, and there isn't a die-hard sports fan, New York Yankees or otherwise, who doesn't know what transpired once he did.
Some of you may be old enough to recall an old football saying. 'Guys can't lose their jobs because of injury'. Raise those hands if you believe that. Yep! That's what we thought. History has taught us that men have lost their jobs due to injuries all the time.
Injuries are a part of the game that we all hate talking about, yet we know that, in collision sports, they will occur. Sadly, there's one worth mentioning as it involves a former Eagle, but in an unsurprising twist, it opens the door for an exciting NFL rookie.
Kenny Pickett unintentionally opens the door for Shedeur Sanders
Kenny Pickett's story isn't like Wally Pipp's in that he asked for a day off or could have gutted something out, maybe. Pickett's career has come with its share of criticism, but we know he's tough. He is from Ocean Township, New Jersey, and was raised as an Eagles fan, but he'll have to sit after a recent diagnosis.
He suffered a hamstring injury at the Cleveland Browns' training camp, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. That appears to have opened the door for rookie draftee Shedeur Sanders. Pickett will be re-evaluated later in the week, but expect the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer, Deion Sanders, to make the most of his opportunity.
The Browns have 30 or so quarterbacks on the roster. Just teasing. Things aren't that chaotic, but there are a lot of guys to discuss in terms of their competition.
Deshaun Watson is injured and is expected to miss the season. After trading with the Eagles for Pickett, they signed Joe Flacco. They drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this past April. Don't expect Philadelphia's fans to spend a lot of time following the Browns' journey.