Shedeur Sanders is likely the most talked-about fifth-round pick in NFL history. The former Colorado Buffaloes star and son of Deion “Prime Time” Sanders enters his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns under heavy scrutiny.
While few expected him to get first-team reps in training camp, he was seen throwing passes to equipment managers, raising questions about his place on the Browns’ depth chart. Now, Sanders is speaking out about that and addressing other concerns about his limited workload during the first week of camp.
Shedeur Sanders Responds to Practice Questions With Confident Message
The Browns held an open training camp practice today, and many were surprised to see Sanders, who was selected with the No. 144 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, throwing passes to equipment managers and receiving few meaningful reps.
After practice ended, Sanders was asked about that moment, and the young quarterback responded confidently, saying nothing fazes him after the long journey he’s taken to reach this point.
“It doesn’t really faze me, you gotta understand we came all the way from the HBCU to the Power Five, and now we’re here. At this point, you look around, there’s nothing that is a challenge, I would say.”
Shedeur Sanders said he isn’t phased by anything, including throwing to equipment managers 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/OOtG56BNPb
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 25, 2025
Sanders isn’t wrong about his football journey. Despite receiving Power Five offers out of high school as a composite four-star recruit, he chose to play under his dad at Jackson State, an FCS program. He later transferred to Colorado to continue playing for his father, and although he was once projected as a first-round pick, he slid to the fifth round.
The former Colorado star was expected to compete for the Browns’ starting job in camp alongside Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. But Sanders hasn’t received any first-team reps so far. Still, he isn’t letting it affect him, saying it’s out of his control.
Shedeur Sanders was asked why he thinks he’s not getting reps with the first-team offense pic.twitter.com/DWgLMSzi8A
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) July 25, 2025
“That’s not my place to answer,” Sanders said. He later added. “It’s not in my control, so I’m not even going to think about that or have that in my thought process.”
Sanders has been handling the media scrutiny well, consistently emphasizing that he’s just grateful for the opportunity to play in the NFL.
The young quarterback’s mindset should help him earn more meaningful reps as Cleveland’s training camp continues, and he knows that when the opportunity arrives, he has to make the most of it.
🔥 Class. Shedeur Press Conference
“Having a deeper level of understanding. I know when I get my opportunity, I gotta maximize it. I gotta think about what I gotta do to get better even if I’m not getting reps in”
📽️ @Browns pic.twitter.com/GazFD2Uihk
— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth) July 25, 2025
“Having a deeper level of understanding,” Sanders said. “I know when I get my opportunity, I gotta maximize it.”
Having so much attention as a rookie can put a lot of pressure on players, often causing them to struggle mentally. However, Sanders seems to be handling it well by remaining thankful, understanding his role, and preparing for when his time eventually comes.
