Shedeur Sanders says the bulletin board material he delivered to the New Orleans Saints was simply a misunderstanding.
Sanders said he did not mean to disrespect the New Orleans Saints with his comments during the week, blaming the media for turning his words into a controversy.
“Everything I do up to this point is taken out of context. I can’t be one to care what people say,” Sanders told CBS sideline reporter A.J. Ross. “I would never disrespect or ever talk down to another opponent or another team. It’s just another trick in the media they use. However they feel they feel, I don’t care how they feel.”
The dispute adds another layer to Sanders’ first start of the season. The second-year QB takes over a Cleveland team that entered Week 9 at 5-3 and looking to recover from a 27-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Shedeur Sanders’ Comments Reached Saints’ Locker Room
The exchange began during Sanders’ Wednesday news conference, when he was asked whether he had studied the Saints’ defense and what stood out.
“Yeah, I’ve seen a lot. When I smile, just know that means something. I’m maturing. I’m maturing,” Sanders said. “Like, I could have given a decent answer, but now I’m just going to smile whenever it’s just, like, some questions.”
Granderson made clear Friday that New Orleans had noticed.
“They’ve been chirping a little bit. We see what the quarterback done said,” Granderson said.
The reaction extended beyond the defensive end. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday that the clip circulated inside the Saints’ facility and that head coach Kellen Moore referenced it during a team meeting.
Browns Give Shedeur Sanders His First Start of Season
Sanders’ opportunity comes after Deshaun Watson spent most of the week in concussion protocol. Watson received clearance Saturday, but Cleveland still listed him as inactive Sunday.
Sanders had attempted just three passes this season, completing all three for 2 yards. His rookie season provided a larger sample: 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions across eight appearances. Cleveland went 3-4 in his seven starts.
Head coach Todd Monken has pointed to progress in Sanders’ mechanics, footwork and ability to work through his reads.
“He’s very diligent and he likes to play football, has a natural confidence about him.” Monken said. “Just like any young player, they’ve got to play. … where he’s improved is his footwork, his drops, his mechanics, understanding where to go with the ball, sense of urgency in terms of working through his progressions, protections. There were so many things he needed to work on, and he’s done that like any young player. Any young player has a lot to work on, especially at the quarterback position. And you can see that from the moment we got here and that’s why we opened up the competition and we split the reps was because of his ascent.”
Monken also welcomed the chance to see what Sanders could do with the starting opportunity.
“Who wouldn’t be?” Monken said when asked whether he was fired up about the opportunity. “Let’s go. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
After a week of first-team preparation, Sanders got his most substantial opportunity yet to show how his improvement translates to Monken’s offense.
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