Trouble doesn’t usually follow Shedeur Sanders, but this time, it caught up with him. Still in the early stages of his NFL journey with Cleveland, the Colorado alum landed in legal hot water after police clocked him driving at 101 mph—well above the legal limit—and issued him a speeding ticket. It wasn’t a one-off either. The cops pulled him over twice in a month. The second incident gained attention after someone released the footage, making sure the public saw Sanders receiving what many considered a minor traffic citation.
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In response, Shedeur has now decided to stop driving altogether. But the question remains—why take the risk in the first place? Why would someone as high-profile as Sanders, fully aware of the attention that comes with his last name, go for a joyride that could jeopardize his image?
While some argue the media has blown the situation out of proportion—it’s just two speeding tickets, after all—former NFL running back Ricky Williams doesn’t see it that way. He views the incidents as a “warning sign.” Not something catastrophic, but a subtle indicator that something deeper may be brewing. His advice to Shedeur? “Lay low,” stay out of the spotlight, and focus on football.
Williams also pointed to an underlying issue: bottled-up frustration. He believes Sanders has been doing everything he can to project calm and composure ever since his surprising slide in the NFL Draft. Though Shedeur appeared poised on draft night, being selected in the fifth round clearly stung, and Williams believes that sting is still fresh.
” I don’t think so. I think it’s a warning sign. I’ve been there, and you’ve got to know when there’s a lot of heat on you, lay low. Here’s the other thing. Everything that went down on draft day, people everybody around was pissed off but they showed him on camera, he seemed cool. But speeding is a manifestation of repressed anger. It’s got to get out somehow. It’s okay to be angry.”
What did Ocho have to say about Shedeur’s situation? Well, he, for one, believes people are blowing speeding tickets out of proportion. While he understands the urge to speed, he advised the Browns QB to exercise some caution moving forward. Speeding is something we have all done before and have gotten a ticket for it. So Sanders’ decision not to drive from here on out is a step in the right direction.
” Obviously, you are not supposed to speed. I think you just have to be a little more cautious. I think we have all sped at some point. We’ve all been pulled over for a ticket at some point. You’re not supposed to do it. His decision not to drive anymore, or have a driver or have a Uber so he doesn’t get any more tickets is a step in the right direction. Or you can just drive like I do and never go over 60mph.”
Ricky Williams might be onto something. Despite performing well in OTAs and training camp, Shedeur Sanders remains the only quarterback not getting reps with the first team in Cleveland. That’s bound to feel frustrating, especially after the coaches publicly declared there would be an open competition for the starting job. So far, it hasn’t looked like a level playing field. It appears they are penalizing Colorado simply for being a fifth-round pick.
Some frustration was inevitable, and it was only a matter of time before it surfaced in one form or another. Still, Shedeur must remind himself that he has dues to pay. His focus now should be on staying locked in, proving himself daily, and avoiding any further distractions that could slow his climb.
