Shedeur Sanders’ journey to the NFL and as a player has been anything but easy. Whether self-inflicted or not, Sanders’ expectations have been unfairly high, whether that was to become a first-round pick, or to bring the Cleveland Browns immediate success. People around the league have certainly taken notice, including Shedeur’s Hall-of-Fame father, Deion Sanders.
Deion Sanders Speaks Up on Shedeur’s Challenging Rookie Season
In an interview on “The Barbershop” on YouTube, Sanders said, “When he [Sanders] takes off his shirt, I see the scars on his back that he’s been through hell, but he’s made it through hell. He kept going, and he matured, not like he was a child, but he matured spiritually,” Deion later added that Shedeur understood that “You can’t force this. If it ain’t your time, it ain’t your time.”
Frankly, any quarterback joining the Browns in recent history hasn’t been put in an ideal situation, but Sanders was put at an even bigger disadvantage. Going into last season, the Browns’ quarterback picture was murkier than ever.
As a rookie, he wasn’t even the highest-drafted quarterback on his own team. That honor was given to University of Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who went surprisingly high in the third round. Sanders wasn’t drafted until the fifth round, creating an uphill climb to be the best rookie quarterback on the team, let alone start.
The depth chart also featured an injured Deshaun Watson, as well as veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, both of whom made sure Sanders received limited reps with the first team in training camp and the preseason.
While Pickett would eventually be traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, Sanders still found himself third on the depth chart entering the regular season.
After Flacco floundered in weeks 1-4, Gabriel was given his shot. While he had a few high moments, he wasn’t consistent, yet former head coach Kevin Stefanski continued to roll with him.
During this time, the elder Sanders said, “A lot of things that was said… it bothered me, but it didn’t bother him. He just wanted the opportunity to get on the grass and do his thing.”
He may have been referring to Gabriel’s comment: “There’s entertainers, and there’s competitors, and I understand that, but my job is to compete.”
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Regardless, Sanders would go on to start weeks 12-18 after Gabriel’s sub-par play and concussion. While he showed examples of promise, Sanders needs to continue to develop under new head coach Todd Monken if he wants to see playing time in 2026.
According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Sanders posted an impact score of 56.7 last season, ranking fourth-worst in the league. He’s currently competing with Watson, Gabriel, and rookie quarterback Taylen Green for the starting spot.
