Total Pro Sports
Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders showed his true character when asked about the lack of first-team reps in practice.
The 23-year-old Sanders was expected to be an early first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In one of the most stunning draft slides ever, however, Sanders fell to Cleveland in round five at No. 144 overall.
There were reports about Shedeur Sanders performing poorly in pre-draft interviews with teams, a possible explanation for his slide. But on Friday, Sanders showed nothing but character and professionalism in his training camp presser.
Per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, Sanders is the only quarterback on Cleveland’s depth chart who hasn’t gotten first-team reps in practice. Sanders is in a four-way competition with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Asked about not receiving any first-team reps thus far, Sanders expressed zero concern or disappointment, per Oyefusi:
“I don’t think that’s my place to answer, to give the answer to that. I feel like that it’s not in my control, so I’m not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is. There’s a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I’m here and I’m thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is.”
“It doesn’t make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person. I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance.”
The way Shedeur Sanders handled this question about why he isn’t getting any first team reps is PURE CLASS and shows his character. pic.twitter.com/CvYrJJSoJc
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) July 25, 2025
Well, that’s certainly different from the response you want from a rookie quarterback. Shedeur Sanders is clearly locked in and taking the pros seriously, rather than acting entitled and deserving of the QB1 job right away (hello, Ryan Leaf and Johnny Manziel).
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski hasn’t announced his Week 1 starter yet, but many assume that it’ll go to Flacco, given his experience and familiarity in Cleveland’s offense. The 40-year-old won Comeback Player of the Year honors after leading the Browns to the postseason in 2023.
Sanders probably won’t be Cleveland’s Week 1 starter, but it doesn’t mean he won’t play in 2025. There’s a real possibility that Cleveland will cut or trade one of its four quarterbacks, and it’s hard to imagine them choosing the other three over Sanders.
The former Colorado star just has to keep working away and wait patiently for his opportunity to shine. Whether it’s in Cleveland or somewhere else, Sanders will get his chance at some point.
