The Cleveland Browns have become one of the most talked about teams in the NFL leading up to training camp next month. A lot of that talk has had to do with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
After being projected to be a first or second round pick at the latest leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders went on to suffer a brutal slide. He was not selected until the No. 144 overall pick in the fifth round of the draft after the Browns traded up to get him.
Since the pick, all eyes have been on Sanders to see if he can work his way onto the field during his rookie season.
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Right now, Cleveland has a four-man starting quarterback competition brewing. Along with Sanders, the Browns have Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel competing for playing time.
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Ahead of training camp, Sanders has been involved in some off the field issues. Those issues have led to one analyst issuing a major warning to the rookie signal caller.
Nate Davis of USA Today delivered a roster cut warning to Sanders before training camp and preseason action gets underway.
“Though Sanders was widely expected to go in the first round of this year’s draft, more than one pundit suggested the son of legendary Hall of Famer and Buffs coach Deion Sanders would more likely be a Day 2 pick if his name was Shedeur Jones. Turns out, apparently since his name is Shedeur Sanders, who was never the kind of generational talent who’d blind teams with scintillating gifts, he became a fifth-round flier – the type of player who doesn’t even need to give a team a reason to cut him,” Davis wrote.
“Sanders should practice what he’s already preached. If he’s not more careful, the next ticket he’s served with could be the one-way variety – to football exile.”
Obviously, this is a very rough take filled with criticism. However, it’s a message that Sanders should take to heart.
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It is not difficult for a team to cut a fifth-round pick. Sanders has his work cut out for him to make the roster and then to find playing time. He has three talented quarterbacks on the roster alongside him and Deshaun Watson is still under contract for two more years as well.
He has already shown major flashes of talent and potential on the field in rookie minicamp and mandatory minicamp, but he has to keep it going. Sanders has the talent to be an NFL quarterback, but he needs to put everything together.
With training camp and the preseason coming up quickly, Sanders will continue being a hot topic of conversation around the league.
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