Quarterbacks tend to get more attention than other football players. On the field, they’re viewed as the face of the franchise, the ones who get credit for wins and blamed for losses. Shedeur Sanders knows this all too well, even if he hasn’t been anointed the full-time starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.
Still, despite being a former fifth-round pick, Sanders is no stranger to the spotlight. But sometimes, he’s the one creating his own attention, and those moves tend to get criticized, especially when it’s all about himself.
Rex Ryan Calls Out Shedeur Sanders for Being More ‘Me Than We’
Chances are, you’re either a believer in Sanders, or you think he’s overhyped, a product of being the son of a Hall of Fame talent.
Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who now works as an ESPN analyst, seems to be on both sides. He suggested that Sanders is talented but also criticized the Browns’ QB for setting up a recent photo shoot. Ryan wants to see the young QB display more of a team-first attitude rather than promote himself.
“Get a load of this kid,” Ryan wrote. “Great talent needs to realize as a ‘franchise’ QB there has to be more we than me… Cmon man… #Browns #NFL #dawgpound #Growup”
Get a load of this kid… Great talent needs to realize as a “franchise” QB there has to be more we than me… Cmon man… #Browns #NFL #dawgpound #Growup https://t.co/MmAVDHXiiy
— Rex Ryan (@RexRyanOfficial) July 18, 2026
The 24-year-old QB is currently mired in a competition with Deshaun Watson. It’s hard to tell if there’s a frontrunner, as first-year head coach Todd Monken seems to be giving both signal-callers a fresh start in Cleveland. It could be just what Sanders needs to separate himself from the pack.
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Remember, when Sanders arrived in Cleveland, he was no higher than fourth on a depth chart that featured Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and himself. Now he’s climbed past Gabriel, who was selected two rounds and 50 selections ahead of him.
Both Flacco and Pickett have since been traded, but now a healthy Watson re-enters the picture.
It creates an intriguing storyline heading into the Browns’ training camp. Yet, if Sanders continues to display more of the “me-first” attitude that Ryan suggests, it could be tough for his teammates to buy in.
Yet, there haven’t been any reports that Sanders lacks professionalism inside the locker room or that he displays selfish tendencies. In other words, what he does on social media doesn’t exactly reflect what type of leader he is inside the huddle, but then again, as a former head coach, Ryan may know exactly what he’s talking about.
