The competition for the Cleveland Browns’ QB1 spot is shaping up to be the most exciting NFL contest that the state of Ohio has seen in recent years. Despite spending the 30th overall pick on Dillon Gabriel, a majority of both the media and football fans alike are treating this as if there’s only two horses in the race, with those runners being Shedeur Sanders and Joe Flacco.
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The spotlight from the 2025 NFL Draft is still very much on the rookie. Nevertheless, Sanders is managing to handle his current situation with that same sense of poise and confidence that he has always sported.
During his most recent discussion with various members of Cleveland’s press junket, the former Colorado quarterback explained that he’s merely grateful yet optimistic about the opportunity to usurp a former Super Bowl MVP.
“I’m grateful just to come out here and be able to throw the ball around. Everything off the field, it is what it is, but everybody knows that when it’s time to get on that grass, you know who I am. My goal is to be the best teammate and to be as positive as I can be.”
While did remind the press that he does have time to “grow, mature, and understand the in’s and out’s of the defenses,” Sanders also made sure that he was the first to comment on the mistakes that he’s made throughout practice. “I had some misses today that we’ve got to go in there and correct… But overtime, the big things will happen.”
When directly asked about his relationship with the other members of Cleveland’s crowded QB room, the 2024 Golden Arm winner suggested that he’s managing to develop a relationship with each of the guys.
“It’s fun having those guys in the room. We all, as quarterbacks, feel similar ways, but nobody talks about it. Joe’s the old guy in the room, so I joke with Joe all the time, everyday I seem.
“Kenny, he had his experiences throughout his career, so we just share a lot of the same things. Dillon, of course, we’re in the same age group, so we just talk about our experiences in college and things so far.”
Even if he fails to secure a starting job in Week 1, Sanders stands to benefit from having multiple different personalities who are capable of demonstrating both the do’s and don’ts of professional football. Seeing as the Browns’ upper brass are already beginning to voice their support for Flacco, that may be a reality that he will have to get comfortable with.
Thankfully, he seems content with focusing purely on his own development.
“You can always get precise at more things. I feel like I put in my day’s work, but I know I’m far from where I want to be.”
After becoming one of the most polarizing figures in NFL Draft history, Sanders will likely find himself in the national spotlight for the foreseeable future. Meaning that, for better or worse, he’s liable to see himself being held to a higher standard than the average rookie quarterback.
Ultimately, it will not matter as to whether or not those future criticisms are true, as they’ll only serve as one of the numerous obstacles that stands between Sanders and taking snaps under center on Sunday afternoons. Then again, once he’s felt a few pressures from the likes of Myles Garrett, dealing with criticism in the press will likely feel a lot easier for him.
