The Cleveland Browns lost a close one to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. It marked the first career start for rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who turned in a decent performance. However, Shedeur Sanders remains the backup — and continues to make comments as if he’s the starter, drawing major backlash from former coaches and players.
“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,” Rex Ryan said.
Sanders has yet to take a snap in the regular season — and things may be worse than they appear. According to reports, the Browns might even elevate a scout team quarterback to the main roster before giving Sanders a chance.
“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,” Anthony Lima said.
Despite the criticism, NFL insider Ian Rapoport still expects Sanders to eventually get his shot this season.
“The expectation is that Sanders will play at some point this season when he's ready. When he does play, it would be with a full week of practice and a game plan built for him,” Rapoport wrote.
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It seems the situation between Sanders and the Browns might not be as tense as some believe. The team appears to be taking a cautious, developmental approach — allowing Sanders the time and space to get fully comfortable.
There’s no denying Sanders entered the NFL under a massive spotlight, and taking things slow may be the right move. If Rapoport’s report holds true, Sanders could be just a few weeks away from making his first career appearance — or even his first start.