The Cleveland Browns have become one of the most intriguing teams in all of football over the course of one offseason. After arguably the best defensive player in the league, Myles Garrett, threatened to leave, the team was able to pacify and sign him back, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history.
Soon after, their likely first-round selection of Shedeur Sanders as the quarterback came in the fifth round. As one of the most popular players in the entire class, his loaded QB room has immediately made him a national talking point. But according to a fellow rookie on the squad, the attention might not be such a bad thing.
The Shedeur Sanders Impact
Thanks to his last name and the pedigree that comes with it, Shedeur Sanders has always been in the spotlight. With his father Deion Sanders also being his head coach at both Jackson State and Colorado, that spotlight was only magnified.
Then, his draft day slide from potential to QB6 taken with the 144th overall pick has made him the ultimate underdog story. As a result, the interest from the nation at large is at a premium. And fellow rookie, Harold Fannin Jr., believes it might be a net positive.
“I feel like it definitely is going to have more people looking into us and stuff like that. I feel like it’s a great thing in the media world or whatever. It really don’t make any difference. It’s still football, though.”
#Browns TE Harold Fannin on how the Shedeur Sanders spotlight could be good for all of them: pic.twitter.com/kWVYcUW06e
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 9, 2025
Fannin, a third-round pick for Cleveland, is coming off a sensational career with Bowling Green. Getting an ample amount of targets in his final year, he tallied over 1,500 receiving yards while also adding 10 touchdowns to his name.
With no other tight end making a huge impact outside of veteran David Njoku, Fannin is expected to have a huge role on the offensive side for Cleveland. So, a connection with Sanders might be in the near future for the youngster.
But for Sanders to take over that starting quarterback spot, he has to overcome a logjam in the quarterback room. Even though Deshaun Watson is out for the entire 2025 season after a setback in his rehab from an Achilles injury, there are three other quarterbacks the Colorado superstar has to contend with.
The Browns added both Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco this offseason as potential starters for the upcoming season. Additionally, they drafted Dillon Gabriel, 50 spots ahead of Sanders, at 94, as a potential developmental piece for the future.
For the time being, even if Sanders is on the roster to develop for the future, he will have to impress head coach Kevin Stefanski to take over as QB1 on the roster.