After a shock slide to the fifth round in the 2025 NFL Draft, all eyes were on how Shedeur Sanders would fare at the Browns OTAs. And if latest reports are anything to go by, one can safely say that he hasn’t just shown up at training — he’s made a statement.
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With just two open sessions under his belt, Shedeur Sanders is already drawing serious attention for how calm, composed, and clinical he’s looked running the offense. And no one’s been more vocal about it than Colin Cowherd, who didn’t mince words on his show this week: “I’ve seen enough. I’m calling it a wrap. Shedeur Sanders should be starting.”
Let’s be clear — this is no hype-for-hype’s-sake take. Cowherd was reacting to specific numbers out of Browns OTAs, where four quarterbacks took reps: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. And according to reports, here’s how the sessions went:
- Joe Flacco: 9 of 14, 1 TD, 1 INT
- Kenny Pickett: 9 of 16, 0 TDs
- Dillon Gabriel: 11 of 16, 2 TDs, 1 INT
- Shedeur Sanders: 7 of 9, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
“Not a mathematician,” Cowherd joked, “but one of them has more touchdowns than completions. That feels important to me.”
But it’s not just the numbers, though; it’s also the efficiency. As the veteran analyst noted, Sanders had the fewest attempts of the group and was still the most productive. “Despite the fewest reps, he was the most efficient and the most productive,” Cowherd emphasized. “We are calling Ohio as the projected winner in a race that is not as close as the fake news projected.”
While the analyst made it clear he still likes Flacco — “I really like Flacco… he’s one of my favorite guys that’s ever played in the league” — he iterated that the former Buffs star is the future. And given the circumstances, he believes the future might need to start right now.
While it’s encouraging for Sanders to see such reports and statements about him, it also makes people wonder why things went wrong for him at the Draft. Some back then were quick to label his fifth-round pick as his true level, but in Colin Cowherd’s eyes, that assessment is way off the mark.
“All I know is with very average personnel outside of Travis Hunter, against the very best teams he played, he was highly productive,” he said. “A lot of college quarterbacks with better teammates weren’t as productive.” He added: “Size, movement, accuracy — I like it.”
Interestingly enough, even Joe Flacco himself seems to see something in his rookie teammate.
“Shedeur’s been great,” he said. “He’s a lot of fun to be around in those meeting rooms. He’s a young guy trying to learn some football… and he’s been a lot of fun.”
It’s early. It’s OTAs. And yet, Shedeur Sanders has already made the Browns quarterback conversation a very real competition. And for some, like Cowherd, the quarterback has managed to end the conversation itself.
“He’s the guy,” Cowherd said. “You can keep selling me on Pickett and Gabriel… but I’m buying Shedeur.”
With how the OTAs are going, it may not be surprising if Shedeur makes the roster by training camp. And if he does, he may need an apology from many of his critics.
