Shedeur Sanders will open the 2026 NFL season as the backup quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Many had hoped he’d win the starting job, but it became clear that the powers that be truly want to give Deshaun Watson one last shot to recoup some of that massive investment the team made in him.
That doesn’t mean that Sanders won’t get another shot. Watson is far from a lock to make 17 starts, so it’s likely a matter of when instead of if Sanders sees the field again ahead of the 2027 season. When he does get his chance, he needs to hold on tight because it could be his last shot in Cleveland, and if you ask some fans and analysts, his maturity needs to go up a level for that to happen.
His jovial sideline interview from the second preseason game ruffled a few feathers, including those of local media legend Bruce Drennan. During a recent episode of Bonus Time, Drennan ripped into the young QB and challenged him to grow up.
“Did you pay attention diligently to the in-game interview of Sanders in the last preseason game? I thought he came across as an adolescent goof. I’m sorry. He was terrible, in my opinion,” Drennan said.
“I thought Shedeur Sanders came across as an adolescent goof.” #DawgPound @Bruce_Drennan tears into Shedeur Sanders. https://t.co/2QSbr2aGCF pic.twitter.com/hluFwyuo1b
— BIGPLAY Cleveland (@BIGPLAYcle) August 27, 2026
It’s certainly some harsher criticism than the advice Brady Quinn recently offered him, but it’s not the first time Sanders’ words have drawn the ire of the media and it definitely won’t be the last. He has a unique and colorful personality, and no matter the circumstances, he’s always going to be authentic and unapologetically himself.
A sideline interview during a preseason game isn’t exactly the barometer we should be using to determine a player’s maturity, but it’s still something Sanders is going to want to clean up a little bit. Joking about missing the coin toss because he didn’t know what captain duties entail is funny exactly one time. That can’t happen again.
Spending more time marinating on the bench will give Sanders more time to hone his craft and work on the intangibles. He needs to be ready for when his number is called again, and when it is, he can’t allow his leadership or maturity to be called into question.
NEXT: Brady Quinn Offers Advice To Shedeur Sanders As Backup QB
