The drama surrounding Cleveland Browns‘ rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has shown no signs of fading, yet the young quarterback continues to let his actions speak louder than the speculation.
Amid claims of a league-wide conspiracy and public criticism, Shedeur is quietly building momentum, displaying both skill and leadership on and off the field.
The controversy reignited after NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson claimed there was a concerted effort to prevent teams from drafting Shedeur.
“I tell you this much, what I heard from someone that’s in the NFL that the NFL told [teams] don’t draft him, do not draft him. We’re going to make an example out of him. And this came from a very good source,” Dickerson told the Roggin and Rodney Show, via Christian Arnold of the New York Post.
His words have since triggered a widespread debate and criticism of both the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell.
“I won’t say who, somebody called the Cleveland Browns and said, ‘Don’t do that, draft him,'” he explained. “Because they weren’t going to draft him, either. . . .They were forced into drafting him, because somebody made a call to them.”
According to Dickerson, the plan was originally for Sanders to go undrafted entirely. “He was not gonna get drafted, to basically show you this is what happens when you do this,” he said.
“When I say it came from a good source, I say it came from a very, very good source.”
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale and others have publicly voiced support, with Vitale declaring he was “rooting for Shedeur.”
Shedeur shrugs off the negativity
Despite the ongoing negativity and controversy surrounding his future with the Browns, Sanders is keeping his head up. Recently, he attended a grassroots football game at Saint Ignatius High School in Ohio, where he not only observed but also participated in taking reps.
Afterward, he invited kids from the sidelines onto the field, creating an impromptu clinic that quickly drew a crowd.
Deion Sanders Jr., Shedeur‘s older brother, shared the moment on Instagram stories, captioning it with just three words: “The people’s champ.”
This moment highlighted a side of Shedeur often overlooked amid pre-draft criticism that painted him as “arrogant” for some statements he made.
Shedeur’s work ethic and early results
Dedication has become Shedeur‘s calling card. Just last month, he participated in a midnight training session that drew attention for its intensity.
That preparation paid dividends in the preseason, where he led the Browns to a 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers the the preseason opener, passing for 138 yards.
In a post-game interview with Cameron Wolfe, Shedeur modestly graded his own performance as a C+ and pledged to improve, noting that he was “playing for the people who don’t have a voice.”
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