SerpApi.Org
Shedeur Sanders has been one of the NFL’s most talked-about young quarterbacks, and the spotlight found him again after a recent photoshoot.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback drew criticism from former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, who questioned whether Sanders was showing the mindset expected from a quarterback after behind-the-scenes footage showed him posing with a dozen of his jerseys, according to Yardbarker.
“Get a load of this kid… Great talent needs to realize as a ‘franchise’ QB there has to be more we than me… Cmon man,” Ryan wrote on X on July 19.
This statement from Ryan prompted Deion Sanders Jr. to defend his younger brother.
“Why does it bother you so much?” Sanders Jr. replied on X on July 20.
Shedeur entered the 2025 season as Cleveland’s third-string quarterback behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel, but he eventually climbed the depth chart and earned seven starts.
Now, he is competing for the starter spot against Deshaun Watson.
While there is still room for growth on the field, Sanders continues to generate attention away from it as well.
His confidence has drawn mixed reactions, but his family has consistently stood by him whenever the criticism goes beyond football.
While Sanders continues to deal with outside criticism, questions about Cleveland’s quarterback future are also growing.
Have the Browns really solved their quarterback problem?
As training camp approached, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson remain the leading candidates for the starting job.
Still, NFL.com’s Matt Okada pointed Cleveland is still searching for something it has been missing for years: a long-term answer at quarterback.
“Let’s not beat around the bush here: The Browns’ biggest roster issue has been the quarterback position for the better part of the last four decades,” NFL.com’s Matt Okada wrote on July 17. “Outside of Baker Mayfield’s rookie contract, Cleveland has had a different leading passer every single year since 2011.”
Cleveland hopes one of its current quarterbacks can finally end that search.
If not, the conversation about finding the franchise’s future quarterback may continue beyond the 2026 season.
Can Shedeur Sanders prove his critics wrong this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
