Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam Catches Strays After Shedeur Sanders’ Preseason Debut

Shedeur Sanders had the type of NFL debut most rookies can only dream of. Starting for the Cleveland Browns in Friday night’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, the fifth-round pick showed poise and precision, throwing two first-half touchdowns to wide receiver Kaden Davis in a 30-10 win. However, online fans are joking that his performance might have left the team’s owner feeling a bit frustrated.

The first score came on a 7-yard dart early in the second quarter, threading the ball through a tight window in the back corner of the end zone after Cleveland recovered a muffed punt deep in Panthers territory.

The second came just before halftime, a 12-yard strike to Davis again, capping off an efficient, composed opening act. By the time his night ended late in the third quarter, the former Buffs star had completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, adding 19 yards on the ground over 45 snaps.

For a player once projected as a top-five pick before sliding all the way to the 144th overall selection and facing immense media scrutiny while his father battled cancer, Sanders needed a performance like this badly.

But while the rookie was earning praise on the field, an earlier remark from Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was resurfacing, and not in a flattering way.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the draft, Haslam had openly distanced himself from the decision to select Sehdeur Sanders. “If you had told me Friday night [Day 2 of the draft], driving home, y’all are gonna pick Shedeur, I would have said, ‘That’s not happening,’” Haslam admitted.

He went on to say that the choice was “Andrew Berry’s call,” repeating that point three separate times. Days later, Sanders was listed as fourth on the Browns’ QB depth chart.

This portrayal of Haslam as stepping back from the decision, combined with Shedeur’s strong debut, unsurprisingly set the stage for some sharp commentary.

Ryan Clark started off on “X”, with a backhanded taunt against the Browns owner: “Well, at least Andrew Berry gets to take credit for the Shedeur Sanders pick all by himself… because it was made clear the owner wanted nothing to do with it!”

Fans quickly joined in the fun too, posting the most hilariously apt GIFs on this situation:

Some fans, however, let Haslam pass for his remarks by noting that it’s too early to call Sanders a generational talent. “It was one game bro. Relax,” argued a fan under Clark’s post.

“Has to face Ravens and Steelers D twice, I’d maybe give it until regular season,” chimed in another.

Whether Haslam’s candor was meant as honesty or deflection, the reality is that the optics aren’t great for a franchise already juggling a crowded quarterback room. Sanders, for now, remains in a four-way battle with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel, and HC Kevin Stefanski has been careful not to fan any QB controversy just yet.

Still, for a rookie whose draft-day slide drew headlines, an electric debut combined with a viral owner comment might have just put him squarely back in the public spotlight, all while giving Cleveland’s front office more to think about than they expected in August. Safe to say, the plot thickens at the Brown’s QB room.