It t was clear that, heading into the last Draft, Shedeur Sanders had only one thing on his mind: arriving in the NFL as a star and becoming a starter from Week 1. Even his father, Deion Sanders, mentioned several times that his son wouldn’t last long on the bench. However, the complete opposite happened, and Shedeur had to sweat blood just to earn a real opportunity.
Not only was Shedeur Sanders not selected in the first round, but five quarterbacks were taken before the former Colorado Buffaloes player finally heard his name called. It wasn’t until the fifth round that the Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur with the 144th overall pick, and from that moment on, he has had to walk a true path of thorns.
At the start of last preseason, Shedeur Sanders began as the team’s fourth option. When the regular season started, he was already the third option following Kenny Pickett’s departure. By Week 6, he became the backup after Joe Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, and it wasn’t until Week 11 that he took over as the starter after Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion.
Deion Sanders knows it won’t be easy for Shedeur Sanders
Once Shedeur Sanders took over the starting job in Week 11, he never gave it up, finishing with a 3-4 record, 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdown passes, and ten interceptions. The quarterback’s numbers weren’t spectacular, but prior to that he hadn’t practiced with the first team and had to face tough opponents such as the Bears, Bills, Bengals, and Steelers.
Even so, with Todd Monken arriving as head coach, Shedeur Sanders has nothing guaranteed and the battle appears set to continue. That’s why his father, Deion Sanders, offered him some advice for the fight:
“Work. That’s the way you win everything in life. I ain’t never seen somebody who didn’t want to work win. He’s a bona fide worker. He’s a true leader. He’s a bona fide baller. Just get in there with the head coach, get in there with the OC, get the playbook early, and just put in work,” said the NFL Hall of Famer on ESPN’s First Take.
The competition will be especially tough because Deshaun Watson is back. He hasn’t played since Week 7 of the 2024 season due to a double Achilles tendon injury. The former Clemson standout has shared on social media how he’s preparing, and given his talent – even if it hasn’t yet shown with the Browns – there’s no doubt he could have an edge over Shedeur Sanders.
The other quarterback under contract is Dillon Gabriel, who appears to be the weakest competitor and could be available for a trade. There’s also talk that Todd Monken might be interested in Malik Willis in free agency, so the Browns’ storyline still has several chapters left to be written.
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