Once heralded as a potential first-round draft choice, Shedeur Sanders instead was selected in the fifth round (144th overall) by the Cleveland Browns.
As training camp unfolds in Berea, Ohio, Sanders finds himself trailing behind veterans Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, without a single snap with the first-team offense.
Instead, he’s spending much of practice throwing passes to the equipment staff during individual drills.
Sanders has responded to questions about the situation with unwavering humility.
Asked why he isn’t taking reps with the starters, he explained: “That’s not my place to answer. 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.”
He added: “There’s a lot of people that 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.”
Throughout practice, Sanders has displayed composure, insisting he isn’t discouraged. “It doesn’t make me feel down or left out,” he said. “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.”
A steep learning curve and organizational caution
To understand Cleveland‘s reluctance to give Sanders first-team reps, consider comments from former NFL insiders.
Albert Breer noted the rookie was “pretty far behind” in his understanding of the Browns‘ system compared to peers like Gabriel.
“He had a bigger learning curve than Dillon Gabriel… he was pretty far behind,” Breer said, noting Sanders needed more time before earning firstteam consideration.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed a similar view, describing a quarterback depth chart that’s “in pencil,” with daily evaluations influencing how reps are allocated.
Stefanski emphasized that each player’s decisionmaking and accountability under pressure will shape who eventually gets snaps with the starters.
Former head coach Eric Mangini also pushed back on hype surrounding Sanders‘ offseason workout numbers, pointing out that those came against lowertier defenders.
“All of his reps have been with the backend guys… he hasn’t gotten any reps with the ones. That’s a good decision,” Mangini said.
Until he faces first-team competition, his performances are measured against lesser talent, not elite NFL players.
The upcoming preseason opener on August 8 against the Panthers may provide Sanders with his first real opportunity to show his value.
While speculation continues about whether he will make the Browns‘ 53-man roster or even be viewed as the fourth quarterback in a developmental role, Sanders‘ attitude stands out.
Despite zero firstteam snaps in camp so far, he handled adversity with maturity and poise, refusing to play the victim.
“It doesn’t faze me… we came all the way from the HBCU to the Power Five, and now we’re here. At this point… there’s nothing that is a challenge,” he declared after practice.
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