Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders joined the Cleveland Browns’ training camp on Thursday and took a close look at his son Shedeur’s preparation.
While watching practice, Coach Prime saw Shedeur take first-team reps and came away encouraged by what he witnessed.
Deion Sanders Shares Positive Update on Shedeur’s Preparation Amid Brown’s QB Battle
While appearing on the “Dukes the Scoop” podcast, Coach Prime shared that he left Cleveland with a strong feeling about where Shedeur stands mentally and emotionally.
“My son is happy,” Coach Prime said. “My son is back to his, his, his old self, like, he’s back popping it a little bit. He’s back happy; he’s working his butt off. He’s doing what he does. He’s out there before practice, staying out the practice.”
Shedeur spent four seasons playing under Coach Prime, first with the Jackson State Tigers and later with the Colorado Buffaloes. So he knows what Shedeur is capable of.
Playing for his dad, the young quarterback developed into one of college football’s most productive passers. He capped his 2024 season by earning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award along with Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors before beginning his professional career.
However, his introduction into the NFL was anything but smooth. Once viewed as a potential top-10 selection, the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback slipped to the No. 144 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
His path became even tougher after the Cleveland Browns placed him behind veteran Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel on the quarterback depth chart.
However, Sanders slowly worked his way into the picture after Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals and Gabriel suffered a concussion. Once he stepped into the starting role, he guided the Dawg Pound to a 3-4 record across seven starts.
He got a PFN QB Impact score of 63.0, the league’s second-lowest mark, while throwing for 1,400 yards with a 56.6% completion rate, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
However, going into the new season, Dad Sanders is positive about his son’s future.
“Spiritually, he’s at a whole another level and wisdom and understanding of situations and who he is and what God is asking of him,” he added. “He’s truly aware of his surroundings, [which] have tightened up tremendously. And he’s been locked in for a minute, man.”
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For now, Sanders is competing with veteran Deshaun Watson for the No. 1 job.
Watson, who turns 31 in Sept., has not played since tearing his right Achilles tendon during the 2024 season. Unfortunately, he suffered another setback after re-rupturing the tendon the following January, forcing him to undergo another surgery and miss the entire 2025 campaign.
As a result, Watson has appeared in only 19 games since joining the Browns in 2022. So if Shedeur does great in training camp, he can start the season as QB1. For now, though, the Browns have made no decision on the starting role, leaving the race completely open heading into the new season.
