The Cleveland Browns–Shedeur Sanders saga shows no signs of slowing down, with new developments surfacing seemingly every day. Once projected as a first-round pick, Sanders slid all the way to the fifth round—and his NFL performance so far has done little to prove the doubters wrong. Despite minimal on-field impact, he continues to generate media attention. Just last week, Sanders made headlines by taking a jab at quarterback play across the league.
“I know if you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I'm capable of doing better than that,” Sanders told the media.
That remark didn’t sit well with many, including former head coach Rex Ryan, who delivered a scathing response. Ryan criticized Sanders for his attitude, noting the disconnect between his confidence and his current status as a third-string quarterback.
“This kid talks and he runs his mouth. Like he said, 'I can be a starting quarterback' with his arms crossed like this. Get your a** in the front row and study and do all that. If I know, the whole league knows. Quit being an embarrassment that way. You've got the talent to be the quarterback, you should be. You should be embarrassed that you're not the quarterback now,” Ryan said.
Even local Cleveland media has started to pile on. On Wednesday, Anthony Lima of 92.3 The Fan made it clear that Sanders likely isn’t even in consideration for a future starting role.
“The only question anyone should be asking is would they go to Zappe before Shedeur and the answer is yes. They do not want to see him, every day there's a new leak about how unprepared he is,” Lima wrote.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
While there hasn’t been a new leak in recent days, Sanders still managed to draw negative attention with his Wednesday interview—where he gave answers while miming instead of speaking. It was seen by many as another immature moment in what’s becoming a string of missteps for the rookie.
If Dillon Gabriel falters as the starter and Bailey Zappe gets the next opportunity before Sanders, it could cement Sanders as one of the most disappointing quarterback stories in recent memory. He seems unwilling to learn from past mistakes, and Zappe's success could further push Sanders into punchline territory.