Browns Send Strong Message to Shedeur Sanders After First NFL Practice

Shedeur Sanders had a rough first pass at Cleveland Browns rookie minicamp on Friday, then turned things around to end with a stellar day -- and a nod of approval from his new team.

Sanders took an unexpected slide down the NFL draft board, falling all the way to the Browns in the fifth round after once being projected as a potential Top 5 overall pick. The former Colorado quarterback had a lot to prove as the first practices kicked off on Friday, falling behind veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett on the depth chart and taking second-team snaps behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

ESPN reporter Brad Stainbrook noted that Sanders appeared to outplay Gabriel on the day.

"Yes, it’s just the first day of rookie minicamp — but Shedeur Sanders looked sharper than Dillon Gabriel," Stainbrook shared in a post on X. "This is only the beginning. The competition is real, and it’s going to be one of the stories of the season."

The Browns send a message to Sanders after his stellar day, posting a video of his touchdown pass to running back Quinshon Judkins along with a strong message.

"S² + Q = 6" the team wrote in the post's caption.

Sanders has plenty of support from the organization and mentor Tom Brady, who said he told the former Colorado standout to use his draft slide as motivation. Brady said he told Sanders to use his first NFL experiences as a fresh start to prove himself.

"I actually texted Shedeur because I know him very well," Brady told Logan Paul on the "IMPAULSIVE" podcast. "And I said, 'Dude, like whatever happens, wherever you go, that's your first day. Day 2 matters more than the draft.' I was 199. So, who can speak on it better than me? Like what that really means. Use it as motivation, you're going to get your chances, go take advantage of it."