After months of ridicule, speculation, and a lack of first-team reps in training camp, Shedeur Sanders finally managed to solidify his own hype by leading the Cleveland Browns to an emphatic 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in the first week of the 2025 NFL Preseason.
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The former Colorado Buffalo played against Carolina’s first-team defense for the majority of his snaps, suggesting that he’s more than capable of playing the game at the next level.
Nevertheless, the team’s head coach, Kevin Stefanski, appeared hesitant to praise Sanders during his postgame locker room speech. His lack of acknowledgement for the second generation athlete has rubbed many the wrong way, but according to the former San Diego Charger, Marcellus Wiley, the situation may be a bit deceiving.
“Where’s the Shedeur mention?” Wiley questioned during the most recent episode of his podcast.
“You’re talking about special teams, defense, you singled out somebody on defense, and then you talk about the offenses no give aways. Shedeur was the starter for most of that game. He can’t get no love?“
Despite the bad optics, Wiley is remaining adamant that there is a legitimate reason behind the incident. In referencing his own experiences in various locker rooms throughout his 25-year career as a footballer, Wiley claimed that he is “very familiar” with the word selection and demeanor that Stefanski displayed in the locker room that day.
In short, there’s no need for a coach to buy into the same hype that the fans are indulging in.
“We know Shedeur is getting all of this attention. Coach knows this as well, but I’m not getting caught in that hype, so I’m not going to coach in that hype,” Wiley explained.
“When you get in the weight room, how do you get bigger and stronger? You actually tear down your muscles… and then they repair themselves stronger… Same thing with a football team. You actually break down players… and see how they build themselves up stronger… I understand what he’s doing. “
For better or worse, the retired Charger believes that Sanders will no longer be treated as the potential franchise hero that he was once heralded to be prior to night one of the 2025 NFL Draft. On paper, Sanders is a 144th overall draft pick, and even though a large chunk of the population believes that he’s much better than that, he will still be treated as such for the time being.
“He’s a fifth-rounder and fifth-rounders don’t get praise easily,” Wiley exclaimed just before suggesting that it is going to be a continuous uphill battle for the 2024 Golden Arm winner.
“You’re a top 10 star in the league already, that ain’t got nothing to do with me… He’s a fifth rounder, fourth on the depth chart, and fifth on our debt chart. You know what a debt chart is? D. E. B. T. That means, we’re paying Deshaun Watson first, we’re playing Flacco next, then we’re paying Pickett, then we’re paying Gabriel, and then we’re paying you.”
He may have been raised and trained by some of the best players in the history of the NFL, but now that he’s officially a member of the league himself, it’s everything earned and nothing given for Shedeur Sanders from here on out.
