The Cleveland Browns rolled the dice with Shedeur Sanders.
Getting him at No. 2 seemed too rich, and even getting him in the second round could’ve sent the wrong message.
But taking him in the fifth round and the No. 144 position was a steal.
He was humbled, and the team and the league pretty much told him that he still had a long way to go and a lot of hard work to do.
Fortunately for him, he took the criticism to heart, and he’s going the extra mile to turn the narrative around.
With that in mind, legendary OT Joe Thomas took to X to praise Sanders for his approach to his rookie season, as he’s been doing a lot of listening and learning and not a lot of talking:
“He’s been doing a lot of listening!!” Thomas posted on X.
Early returns???
He’s been doing a lot of listening!!💪💪 https://t.co/TgG3xptE5j
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) June 14, 2025
Sanders has a strong character and personality, just like his father.
He shouldn’t be punished because of that, especially considering that most of the things people criticize him for are the very same things they want to see in, say, a wide receiver.
But double standard aside, he may have needed that humbling experience, as it may have been the first time he wasn’t surrounded by yes men and was actually taken out of his comfort zone.
Now, he’s facing an uphill battle to be the team’s starting quarterback, but diamonds are shaped under pressure, and he’s clearly embracing the challenge and wants to prove everybody wrong.
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