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Browns’ Standoffish Stance on Rookie QB Shedeur Sanders Raises Eyebrows
Cleveland, OH – The relationship between the Cleveland Browns and their promising rookie quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, is starting to look less like a budding romance and more like an awkward first date. While outright sabotage seems a dramatic accusation, the team’s lukewarm reception to Sanders’s early successes has many scratching their heads and wondering if something is truly “off.”
After Sanders delivered an impressive preseason debut, his excited sideline exchange with General Manager Andrew Berry was, by all accounts, notably subdued on Berry’s end. Then came the historic moment: Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback since 1995 (when the team was still in Cleveland, before becoming the Baltimore Ravens) to win his first start.
A game ball, a celebratory gesture, surely? Nope.
Not for Sanders.
Now, as Sanders prepares to attempt to become the franchise’s first rookie quarterback to win his first two starts since 1950, the team’s messaging remains curiously hesitant. ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently reported that the Browns are “open to giving Sanders an extended look for the rest of this season,” with his playing time contingent on his performance. This statement, while seemingly logical, feels like an unnecessary leak, prompting the question: shouldn’t this be an obvious “ride the wave” scenario rather than a cautious “tap the brakes” approach?
It’s akin to a parent responding to a child’s perfect test score with, “Let’s wait for the full report card.” This reserved attitude only fuels speculation that the Browns may not be fully invested in Sanders as a long-term solution.
Some suggest this stems from an analytics-driven draft strategy, viewing Sanders as a “value pick” or a potential future trade chip, rather than a foundational piece. This perspective could also explain the perplexing decision to bring in two rookie quarterbacks, potentially creating an internal dynamic that’s proving more complex than anticipated.
While accusing the Browns of sabotaging Sanders is a stretch, the undeniable oddity in their handling of his early success is palpable. And when things feel “off,” imaginations tend to run wild.
The Browns, a franchise that has seen 42 different starting quarterbacks since their return to the NFL in 1999, should be embracing the possibility that Sanders could delay the inevitable 43rd name from gracing the back of a jersey. With two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, wouldn’t it be a welcome relief to avoid having to use one on an unproven quarterback?
It’s far too early to predict Sanders’s ultimate trajectory. But for now, why not lean into the possibility that he’s capable of playing the position better than many of the revolving door of quarterbacks who have come before him? If the concern is an eventual hype train derailment, one must ask: why draft him in the first place?
Whatever the underlying reason for the Browns’ seemingly peculiar approach to Shedeur Sanders, it’s just plain odd. At a time when the team is still grappling with the fallout from past significant transactions, perhaps it’s time for the Browns to allow themselves to view the glass as potentially half-full, rather than inevitably empty.