The situation started with Mary Kay Cabot giving her take on the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback battle. She said Deshaun Watson should be declared QB1 early ahead of Shedeur Sanders, so he can get full first-team reps.
“I think they should declare (Watson) QB1 and let the first team cook. There’s no time to waste.”
It was a football opinion, but some interpreted it as dismissive of Sanders before he got a real chance. His brother, Shilo Sanders, for one, couldn’t bear to hear the end of it. He responded publicly with “Go make a sandwich, Mary,” then doubled down by questioning her credibility as a reporter and suggesting she had an agenda against his brother.
Shilo Sanders Is Staying Firm on the Remarks He Made Against Mary Kay Cabot
Sanders’ tone and wording drew backlash, with many calling the comments sexist rather than just critical. But Shilo doesn’t seem too bothered about the backlash.
Sanders’ exact words were this: “If you’re gonna be a reporter, be a reporter and report facts,” he said. “When your opinion is always hateful to Shedeur, it makes it seem like an agenda.
“There’s plenty of women in this field that take this seriously… With you, it’s so much emotion. I don’t want you to make women look bad when it comes to reporting… We don’t care what you think is going to happen.”
Well, it wasn’t aimed directly at women in the reporting scene, but most of all against Cabot’s opinion on Shedeur and Browns’ QB battle in general. It’s true that Cabot has been a bit skeptical of the former CU Buffs’ quarterback. But then again, they are her personal thoughts.
Cabot addressed Shilo’s comments like a mature reporter, without escalating the situation. She didn’t engage directly with the insult and instead pointed to her career, saying: “I know so many women who have joined the football world, especially because of some of the things I’ve been able to do over the years, I’m happy about that.”
At its core, this is a clash between media opinion and player reaction, but a player who very much sees himself as a media guy, able to react to varying opinions however he wants.
Appearing on “The Coach JB Show,” Shilo addressed the backlash head-on, defending his right to speak freely. He framed himself as independent and unapologetic, saying, “I don’t make no sense sometimes, and I think a bit. But thankfully, I’m on a platform. I’m my own man. Whatever I see, I can respond to, I can react to, and voice my opinion. I can say what I want.”
He also pushed back on criticism tied to his last name, arguing he’s operating within his current reality. “So why is it a problem when somebody like me has something to say? I’m just a media outlet. When I go to the Pro Bowl, when I go to Shedeur’s games, I get media credentials. That’s my lane right now. I’d be grateful for an opportunity to leave, but that’s not it right now.
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“Reality is, I don’t have another opportunity. So this is my lane. Whatever I see, whatever I want to respond to, that’s what I’m going to respond to, just like you guys. But how is it a problem if your last name is Sanders and you do that?”
Cabot brings nearly four decades of coverage to the Cleveland Browns, starting in 1988 after graduating from Kent State. That experience has always helped the fanbase put her opinions on a pedestal, including her recent take on Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders: QB battle.
She has industry credibility, marked by the Bill Nunn Award from the Pro Football Writers of America, making her just the second woman to earn that honor.
Sanders’ own position makes it even more interesting. He was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025 after an on-field incident and has not landed another NFL opportunity since. That’s what he pointed out as well. He would love an opportunity to suit up and step on the gridiron, but until that happens, he’s a ‘media guy’ as well.
