Deion Sanders Gets 100% Real on Shedeur Sanders' Situation With Browns
Shedeur Sanders became one of the most talked-about rookie prospects last year. He starred for the Colorado Buffaloes under his father, Deion Sanders, and analysts originally projected him to be among the top picks of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the Cleveland Browns selected him in the fifth round at No. 144 overall.
The quarterback enjoyed a successful senior year at Boulder. He won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year award and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024. Sanders started his rookie season buried in the depth chart but somehow found his way to becoming Cleveland's QB1.
He started the team's last seven games of the campaign. Sanders completed 120-of-212 passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Deion Sanders shared his assessment of Shedeur's rookie season in a recent interview with Covers. The Buffaloes coach expressed what he believes a quarterback needs to thrive at the highest level.
"I would have wanted him to perform a little better, but that's not just an individual thing, that's a team thing," Sanders said.
"A quarterback needs help tremendously from the offensive line, from the receivers, from the running game, from the coordinators as well. "It's not just a singular thing, like a defensive back. I don't care what the pass rush is, (the DB) has got to do his job. It's a little different with a quarterback. He needs several things to go right for him to be successful."
Deshaun Watson is set to return after missing the entire 2025 season due to a ruptured Achilles. Reports suggest that he is the favorite to land the QB1 job despite Sanders' emergence late last year.
However, the veteran quarterback will face stiff competition in training camp. Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green will prove themselves to be in the best position they can be in the pecking order.
Related: Browns' Deshaun Watson Shares Injury Update Amid QB1 Battle With Shedeur Sanders
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 6:33 PM.