Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been making headlines since his shocking fall to the 144th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With fans eager to follow the career of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders’ son, the young signal-caller has drawn national attention long before taking his first professional snap.
Everyone is talking about Shedeur once again, this time for a speeding ticket that was issued to him for going 101 miles per hour in a 60 mph zone, raising fresh concerns about his off-field judgment. Unfortunately for Shedeur, incidents like this could hurt his chances of starting in Week 1 for the Browns.
Shedeur Sanders Falling Behind in Four-Way QB Battle
The ongoing quarterback competition inside the Browns’ minicamp this offseason has been the tightest and most notable battle across the NFL. Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur are competing with one another, hoping to be the Browns’ opening starter under center in 2025.
Note that as minicamp rolls on, Shedeur has reportedly begun to impress the Browns coaching staff with his rapid progress.
Gabriel and Shedeur, the two rookie quarterbacks the Browns selected in the third and fifth rounds, respectively, have been working extremely hard. Their hard work has indeed translated into results on the field. However, Shedeur’s concerns reside off the field.
What are the chances any of the #Browns 4 QBs start Week 1 of 2025? Hey, Mary Kay! —-> https://t.co/jI91xm46j3
– Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) June 23, 2025
Again, the issue with Shedeur is in the form of speeding tickets. Sanders was cited for going 101 mph on June 18, the second ticket he has received, the previous coming on June 5 when the Browns quarterback was caught going 91 mph in a 65 mph zone.
Sanders’ off-field issues have caused him to fall behind in the battle for QB1. As Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot reported, Shedeur left minicamp as the fourth quarterback and is expected to enter training camp the same way.
Cabot also reported that the Browns intend to address the tickets and possibly impose some kind of consequence for conduct detrimental to the team, especially considering the second one occurred during rookie orientation.
On the flip side, the Browns believe Shedeur can catch up to Gabriel quickly in terms of their progress with the playbook and their pre-snap progressions; however, as of now, Gabriel has the upper hand.
Sanders Criticized for Recent Traffic Violations
Not surprisingly, criticism has followed Shedeur, following his latest speeding citation during minicamp with the Browns. This has affected his standing with the team, which had taken a chance on the former University of Colorado quarterback.
NFL analyst Colin Cowherd was one public figure to openly criticize Shedeur’s actions, saying, “When you fall to 144 in the draft and then try to match that number behind the wheel of a car… yeah, I don’t think the same.”
Cowherd stated his opinion has changed on Shedeur due to these off-the-field issues, seemingly indicating he may no longer be sold on the rookie quarterback. The FOX Sports host had previously championed Sanders during the draft process, making his criticism particularly notable.
“When you fall to 144 in the draft and then try to match that number behind the wheel of a car… yeah, I don’t think the same.”@colincowherd is OUT on Shedeur Sanders after the Browns QB was caught driving 101 MPH pic.twitter.com/b3DtU5ElJX
– Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 19, 2025
As training camps are just around the corner, Sanders has to be even more critical of his actions. Earning the trust of the coaching staff now requires more than just on-field talent if he hopes to compete for the starting job in Cleveland. Sanders has acknowledged making “wrong choices” and is handling the legal matters according to a Browns spokesperson.
Shedeur is certainly still in the race, but he must strive to avoid any actions that could further harm his chances of being an NFL quarterback. Now more than ever, he needs to block out the outside noise and concentrate on the guidance from his family and coaching staff.
He continues to have a real shot at being the future QB1 in Cleveland, but a lot more is in store on and off the field.