Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been a media focal point since his days at Colorado. He’s now part of the team’s unique quarterback battle and landed in hot water after two speeding incidents.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently discussed Sanders and the reality he’ll have to live in going forward.
Schefter Says Browns Rookie QB Must Be “Above Everything” After Speeding Citations
The Browns needed to overhaul their quarterback room after finishing with a historically bad offense in 2024. The team traded for Kenny Pickett, signed Joe Flacco, and selected Dillon Gabriel and Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft.
A four-way quarterback battle would have brought media attention by itself, but Sanders’ level of fame has increased the scrutiny.
ESPN’s Field Yates recently said, “There’s a lot of heat,” around the team’s QB situation, and he expects that storyline to carry through all of training camp.
Sanders’ run-ins with the police have put the rookie in a bad spot after a solid performance at minicamp. He was establishing himself as a legitimate contender for the QB1 job, but he’ll now have to adjust how he operates moving forward. Schefter recently appeared on “Unsportsmanlike Radio” and broke down why Sanders needs to shape up.
Schefter said, “I know it’s just a speeding ticket, but you can’t speed 41 miles per hour over the speed limit going 101. And you can’t do it twice within a week.” The insider detailed his own experience with traffic violations. He then said, “When you’re that age, a lot of people go through instances like that. But when you’re him, it’s a different deal.
Shedeur Sanders can’t afford to do anything wrong. @AdamSchefter | @ZipRecruiter | @ESPNCleveland pic.twitter.com/3zyHTdDBGs
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) June 24, 2025
“You have to know that all eyes in Cleveland are on you. Many eyes around the National Football League are on you. You need to be above everything. You can’t afford to do anything wrong. If you want to prove everybody wrong that bypassed you in the draft, I’m sorry, as much as you might not like it, you need to be driving 55 miles per hour.”
Sanders’ Minicamp Success Overshadowed by Off-Field Issues
The summer break might be the best thing for Sanders, as he’ll get away from some of the media attention until reporting for Cleveland’s training camp. The speeding incidents came at an awful time for the rookie after he was the best quarterback during minicamp.
He put together an impressive three days of minicamp and had the highest completion percentage (77.4%) among the four healthy Cleveland quarterbacks during the team’s open-to-the-media sessions. Sanders completed 41 of 53 passes with nine touchdowns and one interception across the five open practices, significantly outperforming veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, as well as fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
The speeding tickets have seemingly destroyed any goodwill he had built up with the media. Sanders was cited twice in June 2025, first for driving 91 mph in a 65 mph zone and later for going 101 mph in a 60 mph zone near Cleveland. The second citation occurred just one day after a scheduled court appearance for the first violation.
The incidents likely won’t affect his spot on the roster, but Sanders will have to work even harder to prove his doubters wrong. The fifth-round pick fell dramatically from projected first-round status in the 2025 NFL Draft, and these off-field issues only add to the scrutiny surrounding his professional debut.