One of the most discussed NFL players this offseason is Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He is entering his second season, and there is a quarterback competition ahead of him heading into training camp against Deshaun Watson.
Sanders ended last season as the starter, but he did not play well. His final stats included seven touchdown passes with 10 interceptions across eight games. Despite his poor stats, Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl.
Ahead of training camp, Sanders had a photo shoot with all his Browns jerseys in the background, and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan was not thrilled. However, Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy came to Sanders’ defense, as the second-year quarterback tries to make a name for himself in the league.
Rex Ryan Calls Out Shedeur Sanders for Photo Shoot
Ryan took to X to call out Sanders for the recent photo shoot, saying, “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…”
Ryan believes this stunt by Sanders is all about him, and it gives off a bad vibe heading into the season. It is hard to find a more “look at me” event than a photo shoot, and that is what Sanders decided to do.
Yet, McCoy thinks Ryan should lay off Sanders, as he said on “Speakeasy”, “Why he’s on Shedeur so bad? Like this is a photo shoot. You know what I mean? It’s not about we on my photo shoot. It’s about me on my photo shoot.”
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McCoy does not see any problem with Sanders being a “me” guy during the offseason. He continued, “I don’t know what it is with Rex and Shedeur. I think he’s [Sanders] a team-first guy. If you look at all what his teammates say about him, they always speak how great of a teammate he is, but (expletive) dude, the kid is from Deion Sanders’ scrotum, you’re gonna be a little me, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“The kid is from Deion Sanders’ scrotum… IT’S OKAY TO BE A ‘ME’ GUY!”
– @CutonDime25 GOES OFF on Rex Ryan after expressing criticism over Shedeur Sanders’ recent photoshoot!
WE ARE LIVE RIGHT NOW ⬇️ https://t.co/dKDWFnfLUx pic.twitter.com/Mc6QKlYRJw
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) July 21, 2026
He concluded by saying, “I get it, it’s a team thing, but bro, it’s a reason why you have one of the top five jersey sales because it is about you too, and one part is about the team when it’s during the game, during the season, but [in] offseason, with my friends and homeboys I’m doing commercials and I’m doing all type of brand deals, bro, it is about me.”
Sanders is trying to build a brand in the NFL, but no matter how many photo shoots he does, he will only be respected for what he does on the field. According to PFN’s QB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 63.0 last season, which ranked second-worst in the league.
If he wins the starting job, he will have his work cut out for him playing for the Browns. They do not have a great roster, and trading Myles Garrett this offseason will only make things much more difficult.
However, new head coach Todd Monken could bring in an interesting new offense, which could help elevate the young quarterback. Sanders, being a late-round pick, may not get many more chances in the NFL, which is why this upcoming season is a massive one for him to show he can be a franchise quarterback.
