It was not so long ago that the Cleveland Browns were neck deep in a quarterback competition that featured Shedeur Sanders as the incumbent starter, going up against an aging and oft-injured Deshaun Watson, coming back from two Achilles tendon surgeries and somehow seeking to restart his career in front of a fan base that generally despises him. It would have seemed to be advantage, Sanders, but it was Watson who had the favor of coach Todd Monken and the front office, and though the battle lasted past mid-August, Watson won the job.
Now, Watson is 4-2 this year and it appears that Sanders could be relegated to the backup role for a long time. Sanders hired an agent last week in a surprise move that many thought would signal that he is looking for a trade, but reports insist the Browns do not want to move him. His path to playing time looks tenuous. But former Browns linebacker Willie McGinest, a Super Bowl champ and Pro Bowler with the Patriots, has some stern advice for Sanders.
Shedeur Sanders ‘Didn’t Put Pressure on Position’
McGinest points out the obvious–that Sanders was a fifth-round pick–but says that if Sanders puts aside the “hype” he came into the league with then he could still find a path to the field by working in practice.
Speaking on the “All the Smoke” podcast (via Browns Nation), McGinest said: “Shedeur didn’t put the pressure on the position by coming into the league. I mean that by saying he wasn’t like a top pick. Now, if you’re a No. 1 pick, if you’re a top 10 pick, then you put the pressure on the position right away.
“We don’t see practice, right? As players, we did. The average fan and other people, they don’t see practice. They don’t see who has command. They don’t see everything that people inside the building see. It always comes down to who gives us the best chance to win. I know there’s a lot of hype, and is the hype behind the name, or the lineage where you come from, or what you’re actually doing on the football field?”
Browns ‘Made the Right Decision’ at QB
Now, it’s a fair question to wonder whether the Browns would be 4-2 if Sanders had been the starter. Watson has been good in critical situations, but he has not been an outstanding quarterback by any stretch. Pro Football Focus rates him the No. 32 quarterback in the NFL, out of 38. That’s not great. Watson might not survive a three-game losing streak this season, and so Sanders should be ready.
Said McGinest: “At some point, if he’s doing what he needs to do on the football field, he’ll get an opportunity. Them being 4-2, them winning, and doing what they’re doing, showing they made the right decision.”
For now.
Ex-Browns Star Issues ‘Hype’ Warning to Shedeur Sanders