Up until college, Shedeur Sanders had a relatively smooth football journey. But everything changed once he began his transition from college to the NFL. Reality hit hard when he slid down the draft board and wasn’t selected until the fifth round.
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Now in Cleveland, he’s working to carve out a career for himself — and he’ll have to do it the hard way. The Browns have a crowded quarterback room, and as a fifth-round pick, the Colorado alum is learning just how steep the climb can be.
Still, it looks like Shedeur is ready to pay his dues. The young quarterback’s approach has struck a chord with Shannon Sharpe, who believes the Colorado alum has always had the right mindset and temperament.
Shedeur is currently working with the backups while the three quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart — Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel — are taking the first-team reps. Despite getting fewer opportunities, Sanders remains calm and composed.
He is focusing on staying ready and making the most of every chance that comes his way. Rather than seeing the limited reps as a setback, Sanders views it as an opportunity in disguise. In his eyes, practice reps don’t define a player. What truly matters is performance when the lights are on.
“Life is just based on how you view different things. So you can view things as you’re not getting reps in a negative way, or you can view it as, OK, when it’s my time to get out there, let’s be proactive and let’s get warm, let’s get going. Nobody cares if you took a snap before. Everybody cares about production,” said Sanders.
Sharpe, impressed by Sanders’ maturity, dismissed the negative reports from the NFL Combine that questioned the QB’s preparation. He called them unfounded and intended to hurt his draft stock or humble him. In his view, preparation was never an issue, especially with Deion Sanders as his father, a man who has groomed Shedeur for moments like these from day one.
The Hall of Fame tight end saw a reflection of his early days in Shedeur’s current situation. “This is something I can relate to. Somebody who was the 7th round draft pick, and that was with the third, fourth, [and] fifth team, the last guy to get a rep. Some days, I can get one rep. I get one rep. That’s it,” said Sharpe.
As a 7th-round pick, coaches rarely gave Shannon more than a glance. They viewed him as a depth player — someone to fill out the roster, not to build a game plan around. Reps were hard to come by, sometimes as few as one per practice.
But, like Shedeur, he stayed locked in, fueled by a strong work ethic and a desire to be ready when his moment came. He credited his brother, Sterling Sharpe, for giving him that mindset.
Sharpe’s co-host Chad Johnson was also impressed. He praised Sanders not only for his thoughtful responses but also for his playing style. Ocho raved about Shedeur’s poise and precision as a passer, calling him the most polished of the quarterbacks currently in Cleveland’s camp.
Johnson said it won’t matter that Sanders was a 5th-round pick once he gets on the field, because what truly matters is how he plays.
“He is answering the questions perfectly, and the funny thing about it I talked to some people and he looked different. There is a difference when that young bull is out there spinning that ball. I’m talking [about] football. I ain’t talking about no media and all that hoopla. When he is at the helm, he looks different. That’s what I heard,” added Johnson.
Sanders is making the most of his limited reps in training camp — and the numbers back it up. He’s protecting the football, throwing plenty of touchdown passes, and currently boasts the best completion percentage among all Browns quarterbacks.
For now, all he needs to do is stay consistent. The regular season is still months away, and a lot can change between now and then.
Although he currently sits fourth on the depth chart, the Colorado alum has a real shot at climbing the ranks. If the Browns decide to move on from Pickett, Sanders could jump to the No. 2 spot.
While Flacco may begin the season as the starter, there’s no guarantee he’ll hold that position. Whether due to injury or underperformance, a change could be inevitable. And when that moment comes, Sanders must be ready to seize it.
