As he prepares to compete for the starting job, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders received a strong vote of confidence and some advice from his former college teammate Travis Hunter.
Hunter was selected No. 2 overall in the draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Browns originally held the pick, but they traded it to the Jaguars, moving back to No. 5 to select defensive tackle Mason Graham.
Sanders had to wait quite a bit longer than Hunter to hear his name called. Despite being projected by most to be a first-round pick, Sanders went to the Browns in the fifth round at pick No. 144.
They enter the NFL in different situations, but Hunter thinks they should just keep doing what they did at Colorado—working.
“We just going to work, man,” Hunter said. “We both got our heads down, and doing what we have to do. There’s a lot of doubters out there for him, and he’s going to go to work. I’m going to go to work and just going to do what we’ve always been doing.
“We definitely got to be leaders, especially me. I was the No. 2 overall pick, so I gotta come in and be a leader. Shedeur, he’s gotta go in there and work, earn his job just like me. But he’s also got to go in there and be the head of the offense, so he’s gotta go in there and be a leader.”
Shedeur Sanders Embracing Competition With Browns
Sanders is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing fifth-round picks in recent memory, stepping into a compelling situation in Cleveland. The Browns are still searching for a long-term answer at quarterback, and Sanders will have an opportunity to prove he’s that guy.
But the competition is stiff. Cleveland’s roster already includes veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, along with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel — a third-round selection in the same draft.
Sanders knows the path to the starting job won’t be easy, but he’s embracing both the challenge and the opportunity.
“I just feel like in life and everything, it’s just me versus me, you know,” Sanders said during rookie camp. “I can’t control any other decision besides that. So, I just try to be my best self at all times.”
Shedeur Sanders Wants to Bring Change to Browns
Sanders’ confidence has often been mistaken for arrogance, a factor contributing to his draft slide. But now in Cleveland, he’s focused on rewriting that narrative. Aware of the challenge ahead, Sanders is determined to prove he can be a difference-maker for the Browns.
“I understand, really, I feel like the Browns fans, they just want something to hope for, and they’ve been wanting it so long,” Sanders told Nathan Zegura on Cleveland Browns Daily. “So finally, you know, I’m here to change that. I’m here to actually give them what they want.”
The Browns have kept their quarterback competition under wraps, but things are starting to heat up. Sanders and Gabriel joined the veterans this week as offseason workouts ramp up. OTAs kick off at the end of the month, with mandatory minicamp set for June.
