There were some loud skeptics leading up to the Cleveland Browns’ first preseason game on Friday who believed that the team was setting fifth-round rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders up to fail by starting him against Carolina.
Sanders proved all of that talk to be ridiculous, as he threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns while leading the Browns to an emphatic 30-10 victory over Carolina.
All-time great left tackle Joe Thomas threw some more dirt on that narrative after the game as well, imploring fans to read Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, who provided more insight into what is going on behind the scenes and why the narrative that Cleveland is setting Sanders up to fail is preposterous.
“For everyone pushing the ‘Browns are setting Shedeur Sanders up to fail’ nonsense — read Mary Kay Cabot. He’s learning a brand-new offense, mastering NFL pre-snap reads, and the staff is clearly invested in his development. Sometimes ‘sabotage’ is just you closing your eyes to facts because the truth doesn’t fit your desired narrative,” Thomas posted on X.
For everyone pushing the “Browns are setting @ShedeurSanders up to fail” nonsense — read @MaryKayCabot.
He’s learning a brand-new offense, mastering NFL pre-snap reads, and the staff is clearly invested in his development.
Sometimes “sabotage” is just you closing your eyes to… pic.twitter.com/G77OaUC586
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) August 9, 2025
There was always going to be an excess of media-driven narratives after Sanders got drafted regardless of where he landed, but the idea that any team in the NFL would be actively trying to sabotage one of its own players is ludicrous.
The Browns have struggled to find a long-term franchise quarterback for nearly their entire existence, and if Sanders is able to turn into one, everyone in and around the organization would welcome it with open arms.
He was a fifth-round pick for a reason, yet somehow there have been many loud people pushing for him to start right away, yet when the Browns start him in a preseason game, there is a loud narrative that he is being set up to fail.
It is all loud and wrong, and thankfully, Joe Thomas was one of the many reliable sources to shut it down over the past few days.
Sanders looked great against Carolina, and it is going to be fun to watch his development within this offense.
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