With Four QBs to Beat, Shedeur Sanders Arrives in Cleveland Looking to Prove the Doubters Wrong and Fans Are Here for It

Shedeur Sanders is finally stepping out of his father’s shadow. The cries of nepotism will quickly fade, but he needs to play his cards right. And it all begins with a clear goal: earn the starting quarterback job in Cleveland. It’s no small task.

But the fact that he’s already putting in work at the Browns’ facility shows that Shedeur understands the task at hand. If he can secure the starting QB role in Cleveland, he’ll prove the narrative that his father was carrying him in Boulder wrong.

But to make that happen, he needs to prove himself to be better than three other quarterbacks before the season starts — seasoned vet Joe Flacco, first-round bust Kenny Pickett, and this year’s third-round pick, Dillon Gabriel. Deshaun Watson is also somewhere in the mix. That’s a big mountain for Shedeur to climb.

Flacco led the Browns on a miraculous playoff run in 2023 and is still a competent quarterback at 40. Pickett shouldn’t be underestimated either. He may have struggled as a starter, but as a backup, he found a role last year with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Lastly, Gabriel has higher draft capital and will get every opportunity to prove his worth. It’s nothing short of an uphill battle for Shedeur, whom scouts, GMs, and even some coaches didn’t seem to trust.

However, a recent X video revealed that Shedeur is already putting in work, aiming to stay ahead of the curve. This is a clear indicator of his strong work ethic. However, the fan reaction to Shedeur’s early training efforts was mixed.

Dawg: Browns star QB Shedeur Sanders has arrived in Cleveland and is ALREADY putting in the work for the upcoming NFL season.

Shedeur is ready to prove all his haters wrong pic.twitter.com/ptUSMtVVhS

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 29, 2025

Some people were genuinely interested in seeing how this narrative would unfold now that he’s officially in the NFL. “Time will tell if the league was wrong about him. Let’s see what he can do. Good luck to him,” wrote a Cowboys fan.

“Can he beat out Gabriel for the 3rd string spot?? Tune in!” another cheekily commented.

Time will tell if the league was wrong about him. Let’s see what he can do. Good luck to him

— CowboysBuzz (@CowboysBuzzPost) April 29, 2025

Others found it funny that Shedeur was being commended for showing up to work, especially with a camera crew in tow as a fifth-round pick. “5th round pick coming in with a camera crew. Ya locker room ain’t gonna eat that up. But congrats, he showed up to work! Crazy!” 

Another fan added, “So he’s doing his job… congrats, man! Proud of you lol.”

The kind of media coverage Shedeur garnered as a fifth-round draft pick is intriguing in itself. But when you’re one of the highest-paid athletes in NIL and your dad is Deion Sanders, the media is bound to flock to you. Especially after we got to witness one of the craziest draft-day slides in NFL history.

While others may be tired of him, we’re still very interested to see what happens with Shedeur. He may burn out quickly, but he does have the qualities to become a starter one day.

Scouts and analysts have raved about his accuracy and ability to throw to all three levels of the field. However, his lack of athleticism seemed to deter teams from using a high pick on him.

That doesn’t mean Shedeur can’t defy the scouts and become a solid starter. Just because the league is trending toward dual-threat quarterbacks doesn’t mean there’s no place for pocket passers.

Heck, that’s what Joe Flacco is, and he’s the starter for the Browns as of now.