Shedeur Sanders: You get more excited when you see light at the end of a tunnel

The Browns have not said whether Shedeur Sanders will serve as their No. 2 quarterback for Sunday's game against the Steelers, but his comments on Thursday suggest he sees this week's trade of Joe Flacco as moving him a step closer to his first NFL action.

Dillon Gabriel's backup will either be Sanders or Bailey Zappe, who is on the team's practice squad, and Sanders said on Wednesday that he's "thankful" for any role that the Browns have in mind for him. He also said that it feels good to see a path to getting on the field taking shape.

"I'm in a great mental space overall," Sanders said, via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. "So 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."

Sanders said he is "going to make sure we do everything we can to make sure Dillon's ready for the game" while also preparing himself in the event that his number is called.

The Browns have until Saturday to elevate Zappe to the active roster, so a hint about the team's decision for this weekend may not come on Friday.