Negative reports surrounding Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders are coming out after he lost the starting job.
The Cleveland Browns are still recovering from the aftershocks of naming Deshaun Watson their starting quarterback this year ahead of Shedeur Sanders. Todd Monken’s decision was met with plenty of backlash from fans who were hoping to see the Sanders get more opportunities to refine his game this year.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, reports are now coming out that seem to help justify the Browns’ decision to hand the reins to Watson.
“There are also even questions about Sanders’ fit as a backup, including — fair or not — because of the celebrity and distraction components that come along with him being such a high-profile and polarizing figure,” reported Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
“Do you really want to deal with that (especially with someone who’s not your starting quarterback)?” said one front office staff member.
Sanders slipped to the fifth round in last year’s NFL Draft despite having a strong college football career at Colorado under his father, Deion Sanders. While there were questions about his attitude and perceived overconfidence, there are also plenty of concerns about his viability as a true starting-level talent in the NFL, without many pro tools that seem to have translated thus far.
This, combined with the perceived distraction of his media attention, might make the juice not worth the squeeze in the eyes of some teams.
Zenitz also reported that “there are even some around the NFL who even wonder if Gabriel would be a better fit as Cleveland’s backup, referencing things such as his work ethic and the ability to function on short notice.”
In any case, the Browns are slated to get their new season underway on September 13 with a road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Cleveland Browns are still recovering from the aftershocks of naming Deshaun Watson their starting quarterback this year ahead of Shedeur Sanders. Todd Monken’s decision was met with plenty of backlash from fans who were hoping to see the Sanders get more opportunities to refine his game this year.
