Shedeur Sanders and Myles Garrett no longer share a locker room, but their reunion at the ESPYS showed no signs of hard feelings.
The former Cleveland Browns teammates crossed paths Wednesday night in New York, sharing a hug before exchanging a few words. Their brief conversation could not be heard in the video, but the interaction appeared warm as both players smiled and leaned in to speak. Garrett won the ESPY for “Best Record-Breaking Performance.”
Garrett’s departure marked the end of an era in Cleveland. The Browns traded the reigning Defensive Player of the Year to the Los Angeles Rams after nine seasons, sending away the franchise’s career sacks leader following his record-setting 23-sack campaign.
Cleveland received a substantial return, acquiring Jared Verse along with a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round selection and a 2029 third-rounder. Verse was the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned Pro Bowl selections in each of his first two seasons, giving the Browns an established young pass rusher to build around.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Looks the Part at ESPYS
Sanders is still fighting to become Cleveland’s starting quarterback, but he looked comfortable in the spotlight at the ESPYS. The second-year quarterback participated in interviews and photoshoots while showing off a collection of custom jewelry.
Sanders’ appearance came one year after he became part of the show without stepping onto the stage. Comedian Shane Gillis, who hosted the 2025 ESPYS, targeted Sanders during his opening monologue. Gillis poked fun at Colorado’s decision to retire Sanders’ No. 2 jersey after two seasons with the Buffaloes.
“Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year, and people are saying it’s because of nepotism, because of his father, and it’s not,” Gillis said. “It’s because he went 13-12 over his career, and he almost won the Alamo Bowl. Definitely not nepotism … right?”
Sanders’ Colorado tenure was brief, but he threw for 7,364 yards and 64 touchdowns in 24 games, setting multiple records.
Shedeur Sanders Focused on Lifting Browns
Sanders will return to Cleveland soon for training camp, where he has a chance to take control of the Browns’ offense and help push the franchise back toward relevance.
He is competing with Deshaun Watson for the starting job after making seven starts as a rookie. Neither quarterback separated himself enough during offseason practices for the Browns to make a decision before training camp. Sanders has consistently tried to shift attention away from the head-to-head battle.
He said his daily approach is not dictated by which quarterback receives the first snap or generates the most outside attention.
“See, I think the way y’all look at things is different than how we look at things,” Sanders said. “We look at coming to practice every day, being the best player we can be as an individual and as a good teammate. Y’all look at it as like a competition. It’s not really nothing I’m just focused on. I’m focused on developing as a player, like doing everything, getting as comfortable as I can in the offense and the scheme and playing with that confidence I had.
“So I think that’s all I’m really looking for and trying to improve every day, whether it’s mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Like, I’m just trying to be a better person every day. And wherever that falls into place, it’ll fall into place.”
Browns rookies will report for training camp on July 23, with veterans following on July 28.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Exchanges Words With Myles Garrett