Deion Sanders Reveals Why Shedeur Shut Him Out of Browns Camp

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders told his high-profile father to stay away from training camp as he looks to climb the depth chart.

“Coach Prime” revealed Shedeur’s request during an appearance on Michael Irvin’s podcast on Monday.

“Shedeur told me not to come,” Deion Sanders said. “Let’s get that out. He didn’t want me to come. He’s like, ‘Dad I may get three, four reps at practice. I don’t want you seeing that. Like, c’mon… I’m not where I need to be. Let me get where I need to be.’”

The Browns have yet to reveal a depth chart but Shedeur has functioned as the No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart. He’s behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, as well as veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

Shedeur feels like he’ll be able to make some headway when the preseason rolls around, per Deion.

“He’s dealing with it like a pro,” Deion said of Shedeur. “Like, he ain’t mad. He ain’t bitter. He’s like, ‘I got work to do, but I’m going to put in this work. One thing, they’re gonna have to let me play. Preseason gonna come. And when preseason come, watch me work.’ I’m like, ‘I already know what you’re gonna do. I ain’t worried about that. I know.’ But he didn’t want me to come.”

Deion recently revealed that he had his bladder removed after a malignant tumor was found. The Colorado skipper said he’s cancer-free and will coach this season.

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders ‘Thankful’ For Dad Deion

Shedeur Sanders played under his father in college, first at Jackson State and later at Colorado, where he built a strong college resume and was projected as an early first-round pick. However, he slipped to the fifth round, where the Browns selected him with the No. 144 overall pick.

Some speculated that his draft-day slide was partly due to his outspoken father. But Shedeur has dismissed that narrative, rejecting the idea that being the son of an NFL Hall of Famer is a “burden.”

“I wouldn’t look at that as that. I feel like everybody, God makes everybody have their own routes, and this is just my route,” Shedeur said in April following the draft. “Like there’s nothing I would be able to go back and wish that wasn’t my dad because I’m truly thankful for him being there and the structure I have.

“So it’s never really a burden. I just find it, you know, that other kids in similar situations, I want them to be proud of what their fathers and what they have accomplished. So then you could carry on a legacy, carry on the family name and not really be kind of ashamed about it. I don’t like when people make people feel ashamed about it.”

Kenny Pickett Injury Opens Door for Shedeur Sanders in Browns QB Battle

Pickett and Flacco were locked in a tight battle for the Browns’ starting quarterback job. However, Pickett is expected to miss some time with a hamstring injury. With Pickett sidelined, Flacco will take the bulk of the first-team reps, while the rookies will see increased opportunities to get work in.

“Obviously, everybody will get a little bit more because of how you’re going to distribute those reps,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday. “I think it’s really dependent on the period, what we’re trying to accomplish in that period, and just moving these guys around, giving, giving them some more exposure.”

Sanders has yet to get in work with the starting offense. Cleveland’s first preseason game is slated for August 8 against the Carolina Panthers.