Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson struck a much different tone with Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders after taunting him during the teams’ joint practice.
“Listen, I’ve been rocking with brother since I was yay high. I’m glad to see Shedeur in this league. It’s a real full-time moment for brother,” Gardner-Johnson told Well Off Media, which is run by Sanders’ older brother, Deion Sanders Jr.
Gardner-Johnson did not practice but remained active from the sideline. At one point, he yelled “Checkdown King” in Sanders’ direction after a series of short completions. He also mimicked Sanders’ signature wrist celebration.
Gardner-Johnson has built a reputation as one of the NFL’s most persistent trash talkers, and Sanders became his latest target. However, his comments made it clear the jabs were not rooted in personal animosity and were more lighthearted.
Todd Monken Pleased With Browns Quarterbacks
GettyDeshaun Watson #4 and Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Cleveland Browns look to pass during Cleveland Browns Training Camp.
The joint practice gave Browns head coach Todd Monken an extended look at Sanders and Deshaun Watson against Buffalo’s defense. The quarterbacks rotated between the first- and second-team offenses, an arrangement Monken acknowledged was not ideal.
“It’s kind of awkward,” Monken said. “We wanted to make sure we got them reps, but right in the middle of the ones, you sub in the quarterback and that’s not always easy. But screw it. Spot the ball, make a damn play. That’s part of it, too.
“No, it’s not easy. All of a sudden you’re with the twos, but otherwise I’d rather have the reps and live with the disruption.”
Monken came away encouraged by the offense as a whole.
“The one thing I would say, maybe it was just me, it didn’t look like we were out of place,” Monken said. “It looked like we belonged. That’s all we wanted to see: Do we belong? Does our first 11 give us a chance to move the ball and score? I felt that way today.”
Shedeur Sanders Gets Critical Starting Opportunity
Sanders will make his first start of the preseason when the Browns host the Bills on Saturday. He is expected to play the first half, with Watson handling the third quarter and Dillon Gabriel finishing the game. Monken does not anticipate playing many of Cleveland’s older starters after they received extensive work during the joint practice.
That means Sanders will likely operate behind a largely second-team offensive line and without several of the Browns’ established weapons. The setup will make it more difficult to compare his performance directly with Watson’s preseason debut.
Watson started against the Chicago Bears and completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards. He led two scoring drives but also lost a fumble in Cleveland’s 34-10 loss.
Sanders entered in the second half and finished 6 of 11 for 79 yards with an interception. His best play was a 35-yard completion to Luke Floriea on third-and-13, but he was unable to lead the Browns to any points.
Saturday may represent Sanders’ best remaining opportunity to change the trajectory of the competition. Monken has said he would like to identify a starter before Cleveland’s preseason finale against the New England Patriots. That leaves Sanders with one extended audition to change the narrative.
Bills Defender Sends New Message to Shedeur Sanders After Trash Talk