Shedeur Sanders seized his opportunity in the preseason opener, delivering a performance that has sparked discussion around the NFL, but his Cleveland Browns‘ head coach is keen to keep him in check.
Starting in place of injured teammates, the fifth-round draft pick accounted for two touchdown drives in Cleveland’s 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, raising questions about where he should be on the depth chart.
Listed fourth out of five behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, the ex-Colorado Buffaloes star took his chance in fine fashion on August 8 as he played nearly three full quarters, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards.
The 23-year-old’s composure in the pocket and ability to extend plays drew praise from his head coach Kevin Stefanski, but not a commitment to revisiting the quarterback competition.
“Yeah, we’re really just focused on developing our players,” Stefanski told reporters. “We’re in evaluation mode.
“I’m pleased with where the guys are, but I’m not diving into the quarterback competition.”
One highlight that caught Stefanski’s eye was a throw made on the move to rookie receiver Luke Floriea, who secured a difficult catch. The coach described it as “pretty special”.
Sanders catches the eye of the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James
Sanders’ path to this moment was unconventional as once projected as a first rounder, the rookie slid to the fifth before landing with the Browns, where narratives have questioned his validity on the roster and his future.
Coach Prime’s son’s performance has now inevitably fueled speculation about a potential shake-up and his debut was not only a talking point in Cleveland as the four-time NBA champion, LeBron James, even caught wind of the effort.
Aware of what it’s like to try to get your career off the ground whilst surrounded by a furnace of pressure, the Los Angeles Laker headed to social media to praise the youngster.
“That young [man] looking good out there,” LeBron wrote via X.com, formerly Twitter. “Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high.”
He later added: “And I don’t wanna hear that ‘It’s only preseason’ bs. Cause if he was out there not going in y’all would be on his ass about it! So give credit and grace lames.”
Stefanski has so far resisted framing the situation as an open battle and even Shedeur himself downplayed any talk about the depth chart, seemingly aware of the long way to go yet.
“When I get out there it’s just doing what I gotta do,” Sanders said. “Everything else is not in my hands, so I don’t worry about it.
“I just don’t think that deep into everything because it’s nothing you’re gonna be able to control. So why put energy in something that you can’t control?”
Opposite Sanders, the Panthers’ Bryce Young had a short but efficient outing, completing 4 of 6 passes for 58 yards and a touchdown before exiting. He’s also a player looking to shrug off pressure in Carolina.
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