That doesn’t mean this will be easy for Shedeur Sanders, son of Hall of Famer and current CU head coach Deion Sanders. He starts his professional career in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. Sanders was selected in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft. As the first overall pick and the foundation piece for the franchise, he represents a new beginning for a team that has gone through 30 quarterbacks since rejoining the NFL in 1999. The Browns have churned through a staggering 40 different starting quarterbacks in the last 20 years. Now, Sanders finds himself alongside this long line, seeking to navigate the nettlesome trenches of a contentious battle of wills in America’s most favored professional sports league.
Sanders’ selection by the Browns was not the decision of owner Jimmy Haslam, who publicly expressed that he had not anticipated the team’s choice to draft Sanders. “Listen. We have a good process. If you’d have told me Friday night [Day 2 of the draft] driving home, y’all are going to pick Shedeur, I would have said, ‘That’s not happening,’” Haslam stated. This admission goes to show the polarizing views in the Browns’ front office on Sanders’ long-term potential.
As he prepares for his first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on August 8, Sanders faces considerable pressure to prove his worth. He’ll have two more opportunities to prove he’s the one to do it in the two preseason contests that remain. He’ll compete against the Philadelphia Eagles on August 16 and the Los Angeles Rams on August 23. Those performances are likely what will determine his future. Whether he earns a roster spot or becomes a free agent looking for a fresh start remains to be seen.
Sanders comes into training camp with a checkered college reputation. His arm strength is the subject of almost comical ridicule. He often carried the ball for too long and was subsequently sacked more than any other QB in all of college football in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Despite these concerns, he’s got some enormous strengths. His accuracy, toughness, and leadership skills would fit him to be the team’s long-term answer under center.
The Browns, once again, have landed in “quarterback purgatory.” This phrase perfectly encapsulates their years-long battle to find a consistent starter. Pitiful for the lack of clarity on a franchise that has seen a very rocky history with signal callers. Sanders needs to straddle this immensely tough political landscape.
In light of the long road still to come, Sanders promised to stay in the fight. “I got work to do, but I’m going to put in this work. One thing, they’re going to have to let me play. … When preseason comes, watch me work,” he indicated through his father. This clarifying statement goes a long way toward emphasizing Sanders’ bravado and willingness to tackle whatever is thrown at him.
Additionally, it is noteworthy that despite his father’s illustrious NFL career, Sanders recently advised Deion not to attend Browns’ practice sessions. This decision serves as a clear example of his drive to forge his own trail and set his own identity apart from other players in the league.
As Shedeur Sanders begins his new odyssey with the Cleveland Browns, he stands at a crossroads. He’s not the first quarterback to take this road. The next few preseason games will be a proving ground for his skills. They will further provide him an opportunity to win over a skeptical (at best) Marlins front office/fanbase. Whether he’ll be able to jump over the franchise’s long shadow of unpredictability is yet to be seen.
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