As Shedeur Sanders gears up for his first NFL training camp, the rookie quarterback is determined to flip the script on his draft-day slide and prove he belongs on the field.
Once projected as a potential early-round pick, Sanders ended up being selected in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns. Now, he finds himself in a four-way competition for the team’s starting quarterback job — one that includes Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Shedeur Sanders entered the league with buzz thanks to his arm talent and knack for extending plays at Colorado. But concerns about his decision-making, plus two speeding violations earlier this summer, cast a shadow over his transition to the pros.
Still, his work this spring has turned heads — and may have changed some minds.
“The good news for Sanders, the Browns’ fifth-round pick out of Colorado, is that he performed so well over the final two weeks of spring ball that he’ll come back for training camp with a legitimate shot to compete for the starting job, at least in the early going,” wrote Mary Kay Cabot via cleveland.com on Wednesday.
Although Sanders started the offseason behind Gabriel in terms of understanding the offense and pre-snap responsibilities, he made notable strides by the time minicamp wrapped. He even took extra reps with the reserve group to accelerate his development — and it paid off.
Browns Coordinator Praises Shedeur Sanders’ Effort: “He’s Worked His Tail Off”
The Browns’ coaching staff sees promise in Sanders, despite investing earlier draft capital in Gabriel and bringing in seasoned veterans. According to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, Sanders has earned his spot in the quarterback conversation.
“He’s worked his tail off,” Rees told cleveland.com. “He’s really put in a lot of work as all those guys are, but you could tell on the mental side of the game and learning the system and calling it and having that rhythm to it, he’s put a lot of work and time and effort into that.
“And then when you do that, the game starts to slow down and you can focus on finding completions. And he’s done a nice job of that as camp’s progressed.”
While Sanders has made progress, challenges remain. He still needs to improve his poise under pressure — a big issue at Colorado, where he was the most-sacked quarterback in the entire FBS over the past two seasons.
For now, though, Sanders has earned himself a shot. And with training camp on the horizon, he’ll get his chance to show he can do more than just compete — he can lead.
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