Shedeur Sanders has, so far, done a poor job of proving his doubters wrong since being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in late April. The former Colorado Buffaloes star has seen limited reps with the team’s starters and was recently pulled over by police twice in less than two weeks for speeding.
Sanders’ conduct has drawn criticism from the media and even some of his most vocal supporters.
Skip Bayless Releases Deflated Evaluation of Shedeur Sanders After Quarterback’s Recent Conduct
Skip Bayless had been one of Sanders’ biggest backers throughout his controversial pre-draft process and slide to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. But after Sanders’ repeated speeding violations, the analyst voiced his disappointment during an episode of “The Skip Bayless Show.”
“On a silver platter, Shedeur just handed all of his critics, and all of his doubters, and all of his naysayers, ‘I told you so’ exhibit A, ‘I told you so’ exhibit B,” Bayless said.
Bayless then called out Sanders for his reaction to the incidents. The quarterback was seen laughing and joking about the situation during teammate David Njoku’s charity softball game.
“At least, Shedeur could have issued an immediate statement, saying something like: ‘I take full responsibility, as a representative of the Cleveland Browns, and this will never, ever, happen again.'”
“I learn from them,” – Shedeur Sanders on his recent speeding tickets pic.twitter.com/OemVjs2TJ9
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 20, 2025
“Instead, I saw Shedeur respond, kind of, off the cuff… and when he was asked about the speeding tickets, his answer was a laughing answer about the tickets. He was laughing through it.”
Bayless then imitated Sanders’ reaction before expressing his disapproval.
“It just didn’t work for me; you can’t scoff at that. You just can’t.”
Could the Browns Cut Sanders?
Sanders’ character was questioned throughout the pre-draft process, with the words “brash” and “arrogant” often used to describe him. Reports that he struggled in team interviews at the combine sparked mixed reactions, with many rushing to defend him.
Still, from name-dropping his father when explaining why teams should draft him to constantly promoting his personal brand, Sanders raised red flags. To many owners, coaches, and general managers, there was concern about the potential distraction he could bring as a backup quarterback.
Those concerns have since proven valid, as Sanders has dominated media attention around Browns camp and displayed immaturity off the field. As a fifth-round pick, Sanders doesn’t have the draft capital to guarantee a roster spot, especially since the team gave up so little to select him.
The idea of Cleveland carrying four quarterbacks into the 2025 season has been mentioned, but it’s far from typical. More likely, one of Sanders, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett or Dillon Gabriel will be let go before September. While one of the veterans is expected to be the odd man out, Sanders has put himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons and will need to clean things up moving forward.