Breiden Fehoko believes Shedeur Sanders can still develop into a successful NFL quarterback. His problem is with the loudest section of the fan base surrounding him.
After the Cleveland Browns named Deshaun Watson their Week 1 starter Monday, the former NFL defensive tackle unloaded on Sanders’ supporters, who he believes have made objective discussion of the quarterback nearly impossible.
Breiden Fehoko Rips Shedeur Sanders’ Fan Base
“It doesn’t matter if Shedeur Sanders was competing against Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen,” Fehoko said in a clip on X. “You guys would have still had nasty, driven agendas as to why Shedeur should have been the starter.”
Fehoko argued that the constant pressure to defend Sanders has made it harder for people to simply evaluate his development.
“You guys are the worst fan base in sports,” Fehoko said. “You guys are a bunch of [expletive]. You guys are [expletive].”
Breiden Fehoko @BreidenFehoko GOES OFF On Shedeur Sanders Fans (The PrimeSexuals) After Todd Monken Names Deshaun Watson #Browns QB1 Over Shedeur Sanders… 😳
Subscribe to The FEHOKO Show With @BreidenFehoko On Youtube! https://t.co/QINDxRdAS9 pic.twitter.com/P2U3bA8tcD
— The Fehoko Show (@TheFehokoShow) August 25, 2026
Fehoko specifically targeted what he described as the “Deion cult,” accusing some fans of automatically attacking anyone who offers criticism of Sanders.
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His larger point was not that Sanders cannot succeed. Fehoko said he hopes the second-year quarterback plays well in Cleveland and predicted that he will. He instead took issue with what he sees as agendas surrounding every evaluation of the former Colorado star.
“When people try to give actual evaluations of the kid, of the quarterback, and you guys do this [expletive], you guys make it so hard to just appreciate the kid,” Fehoko noted.
The criticism is consistent with Fehoko’s own approach to Cleveland’s quarterback battle. Before the Browns made their decision, he said Sanders had played his best football in a Browns uniform against Buffalo but still believed the competition had effectively been over for weeks.
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Browns Choose Deshaun Watson While Shedeur Sanders Returns to QB2 Role
Head coach Todd Monken officially named Watson Cleveland’s starter for its Sept. 13 opener against Jacksonville, saying the Browns evaluated the full body of work from the offseason, training camp, joint practices and preseason.
Sanders had the better stat line in Saturday’s 31-7 loss to Buffalo. He completed nine of 11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Watson finished 5-of-12 for 36 yards with an interception.
Those two preseason halves did not erase Sanders’ uneven rookie season. He threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2025 while finishing with a 63.0 QB Impact score, ranking 37th among 38 qualifying quarterbacks.
Cleveland’s latest unofficial depth chart now lists Watson first, Sanders second and Dillon Gabriel third.
Fehoko has previously suggested a trade could ultimately be Sanders’ best path if Cleveland remains committed elsewhere at quarterback.
His latest message, though, was aimed away from the field. Sanders lost the QB1 competition. Fehoko believes the nonstop battle waged by his most aggressive supporters is making that result harder to discuss rationally.
