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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is facing questions about his work ethic.
The Cleveland Browns head into the offseason with major questions at quarterback, and a blunt assessment of Shedeur Sanders from a prominent reporter isn’t helping clarify the picture.
Jason Lloyd of The Athletic had a pointed critique of Sanders while on “The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show,” citing sources with direct knowledge of the second-year quarterback’s preparation habits.
“I’ve talked to enough people and heard a lot that isn’t very good,” Lloyd said. “What am I supposed to do with that? Am I supposed to play dumb and come in here and say, ‘Play the kid, let’s give it a shot’? When you hear over and over that he doesn’t watch a ton of film, that he had to be shown how to study film, that he doesn’t know when he’s hot or what he’s looking at in coverages — am I supposed to ignore all that?
“Then, when you look at the data, it is what it is. He didn’t play well. But people want me to ignore that because it’s Shedeur. They want to ignore it because he was a fifth-round pick and if they hit on a fifth-rounder, it erases Deshaun. All of that might be true, but when you hear the same things over and over from different people, you can’t just ignore it.”
Fellow Athletic writer Zac Jackson offered a more measured take, calling Sanders the team’s current No. 1 but adding a significant qualifier: “I think Shedeur is No. 1, but the least comfortable or safe No. 1 that there could ever be.”
Browns Have Not Named Shedeur Sanders QB1
New head coach Todd Monken and general manager Andrew Berry have both said the team will have an open competition for the starting quarterback spot.
“Sure, I think it’s an open competition,” Monken said. “I mean, I don’t why it wouldn’t be an open competition. I don’t mean that saying it harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple years one way or the other to say, boy, we have our starter at quarterback yet. Whether internally or externally.”
The Browns’ external options are beginning to narrow as free agency opens. Malik Willis was the top free agent passer on the market and on Cleveland’s radar. However, he signed with the Miami Dolphins shortly after free agency opened.
Cleveland still has two first-round picks (No. 6 and 24 overall). However, the Browns aren’t expected to pursue a quarterback early, although they may look in the later rounds.
The Browns made two big signings to open free agency, adding offensive guard Zion Johnson and linebacker Quincy Williams.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Confident After Rookie Year
Sanders appeared in eight games (seven starts) last season, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also added 169 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Browns finished 5-12.
His path to the starting lineup was anything but direct. He opened the season third on the depth chart behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. Sanders eventually took over as the starter in mid-November, closed the year by leading the team to back-to-back wins, and emerged with significant confidence.
“That’s the most thing I appreciate about this year is that I proved to myself, I’m able to dominate the league,” Sanders told Kay Adams on the Up and Adams show. “I’m able to take completions, I’m able to put all of that together, and definitely in games, we have flashes, but I know I’m capable of doing that. Now, to do it on a consistent basis, that’s what the goal is. But for me in this past season, that’s what (I) proved to myself.”
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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