National Football League
It’s Time for Browns Rookie Shedeur Sanders to Show Us Who He Really Is
Updated Jul. 15, 2025 7:38 p.m. ET
By Henry McKenna, NFL Reporter
I don’t just want to understand who Shedeur Sanders is at this moment. I want to know who he is going to become. Few individuals share as much about their lives as the Browns’ fifth-round pick does, and even fewer remain as mysterious while being in the public eye. With everything that has transpired this NFL offseason, it’s challenging to know anything for certain about the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback. For instance, where does he actually stand on the depth chart among the team’s five QBs? There’s no clear answer.
Despite all his time spent in front of the camera or speaking into a microphone, we still don’t know Sanders well. Several people close to him suggest that the version of Sanders we see publicly is not the person we will come to know throughout his career jliace. We haven’t met the real him — beneath all this media interest and scrutiny.
Shedeur Sanders responds to questions from the media during a press conference before rookie minicamp in May. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Just check out the headlines surrounding Sanders’ recent workout in the rain. taya 777 online casino It was a heavy storm in Miami, yet it didn’t stop him from completing his training with trainer Darrell Colbert. Given the reactions, one might think Sanders had faced some sort of weather disaster to finish his throwing session. It was just rain. Just water. He isn’t made of sugar. Now, this isn’t to say the workout wasn’t positive or noteworthy. It’s commendable to see him training in tough conditions. His throwing motion was impressively quick, and his footwork looked sharp. But what does that truly say about him?
This is just one piece of the Sanders puzzle, which also includes — based on an Instagram post from last week — the QB working out at 12:18 a.m. in Dallas. The skeptic in me questions what he’s doing working out at that hour. Practically speaking, what does he gain from a midnight workout? The optimist in me believes that night games might keep him awake that late — especially if there’s overtime. So maybe that’s why he’s burning the midnight oil. (However, the skeptic would also mention that the Browns’ latest kickoff this year is at 4:25 p.m. ET. So there’s no night game on the immediate schedule.)
These videos showcase a certain side of Sanders: the dedicated worker. It’s also a performance. He wants everyone to know he’s a hard worker. And that’s perfectly fine. He can be the Browns’ hardest worker while also being the team’s biggest personality in the spotlight. However, that requires something that embodies perfection in every way — something that Sanders has yet to deliver.
Sanders and his father, Deion Sanders, have claimed that the QB is set to prove everyone wrong after his fall in the draft, partly due to character concerns. We’d find it easier to believe if Shedeur hadn’t just received a 100-mph speeding ticket last month. It’s not just about the citation. (Everyone speeds, though probably not that fast.) It’s the fact that he received another speeding ticket for going 91 mph earlier in June. So, Sanders didn’t just make the same mistake twice — his second infraction was worse.
To be fair, this is the kind of immaturity that an NFL player can overcome. You might recall that Browns superstar Myles Garrett received six speeding tickets from 2017 to 2022. That doesn’t make it acceptable. But it illustrates that this is a transgression that players can move past. For now, Sanders’ speeding violations, even if they’re not directly linked to football, will fuel questions about how focused he is on the game — questions that peaked after he struggled in his combine interviews.
The speeding incidents complicate the straightforward image of a guy who’s dedicated to honing his craft in the rain and training at 12:18 a.m. It’s likely that Sanders will be LEGENDARY, the name of his personal brand. But anyone claiming to know what he will truly be legendary for is fooling themselves. Will he gain fame? Or infamy? Will he become a legend for not meeting expectations? Or will he surpass the expectations of all the NFL teams that let him slip to the fifth round?
These are significant questions. The solution is to begin small. Win the meeting. peso888 download Win the snap. Win the practice period. Win the practice. He’ll need to secure wins when he’s on the field with the rookies this week. And he’ll need to excel with the third- and fourth-teamers when the veterans arrive next week. Veteran Joe Flacco (15) enters training camp as the frontrunner to be the Browns’ starting QB at the season’s start. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
That’s likely where he will begin his quest for QB1. If he somehow surpasses Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel, Sanders will still have to concern himself with next year ah88 casino no deposit bonus. lodi game.ph Even if he performs satisfactorily, there’s no surety he’ll be Cleveland’s future at QB. The 2026 draft promises an abundance of quarterbacks, and potentially with a new head coach, the Browns could be in position to select one. Certainly, for Sanders to succeed, he must be extraordinary to navigate a roster that has talent in crucial positions (WR Jerry Jeudy, TE David Njoku, rookie RBs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson) but noticeable gaps on nearly every spot on the offensive line. The defense doesn’t boast a strong reputation either.
Over the next 12 months, we should gain a deeper understanding of who Sanders is — and who he will become. That journey begins in training camp, where the real work starts. Sometimes he’ll be studying until midnight, but most of that preparation will occur from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sanders reports to camp with Browns rookies on Friday. It’s time for him to reveal himself to the organization.
Is he the dedicated worker training in the rain and late hours? Or is he the individual who keeps getting pulled over for speeding? That’s up to Sanders to determine, both publicly and privately.
What are your thoughts on Shedeur Sanders’ journey with the Browns?
