Shedeur Sanders' mom sends defiant message after her son is promoted to Cleveland Browns No 2 quarterback

Sheduer Sanders has taken a step closer to making his NFL debut but his proud mother Pilar is insistant that he should already be on the field as the No 1 for the Cleveland Browns.

The young quarterback's path to playing cleared slightly this week with rival competitior Joe Flacco getting traded to the Cincinnati Bengals.

As a result, Dillon Gabriel is cemented in the starting role and Sanders moves from third-choice to backup in some good news for the man out of Colorado who has been made to wait his turn.

Overall, it is news that his family are celebrating but mom Pilar told her Instagram followers on Friday night that Shedeur will soon be the main man.

She uploaded a video of her cooking in the kitchen and one of her followers asked if it was a celebratory meal.

'For Shedeur's yes,' she wrote back. 'We know 2 has always been 1.

She added: 'The matrix will try and make you believe anything hahahaha - never fall for tall tales.'

Sanders' rise up the ranks in Cleveland was confirmed by head coach Kevin Stefanski at a press conference on Friday.

The 23-year-old was naturally thrilled by the news, saying: 'I’m in a great mental space overall.

'I would say you tend to get a little bit more excited when you see a light at the end of the tunnel, for sure. ... Whatever my role is here, I’m thankful. I’m happy just to do that.'

Gabriel, who like Sanders is also a rookie, made his first start in London last week against the Minnesota Vikings, with the Browns losing 21-17.

For Shedeur, the long wait to play follows his extraordinary slide down the NFL Draft standings earlier this year.

To some, the quarterback was considered a top three pick. But after meeting with multiple teams before the draft, he slid down to the fifth round before the Browns finally put him out of his misery.