Rex Ryan was hired by ESPN to provide hot takes on the NFL, so it’s no surprise that the Cleveland Browns in general and Shedeur Sanders in particular sometimes enter his crosshairs. As a former defensive coordinator for the rival Baltimore Ravens, Ryan’s observations about the Browns and Sanders may draw more venom than he directs at other teams.
Ryan had Sanders in his sights again recently, reacting to a social media post of Sanders’ latest photo shoot. The 63-year-old posted, “Get a load of this kid. Great talent needs to realize as a franchise QB there has to be more we than me. Cmon man. #Growup.”
In response, Sanders’ brother Deion Sanders Jr. called out Ryan’s remarks, wondering why he gets so riled up.
“Why does it bother you so much?” Deion Sanders Jr. posted.
Why does it bother you so much? https://t.co/72Kx0BlKX5
— Deion Sanders Jr (@DeionSandersJr) July 20, 2026
As a former NFL head coach with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, it may be understandable why Ryan is pushing a team-first attitude for any potential starting quarterback. It is unknown if something like this photo shoot, or Shedeur Sanders’ dropping new music right before camp, is a behind-the-scenes concern for the Browns, but they have not made an issue of it publicly.
Ryan isn’t the only observer questioning Shedeur Sanders’ recent behavior, wondering why football doesn’t seem like the priority with so much on the line in his quarterback competition with Deshaun Watson. Training camp is about to open, and things are about to get much harder and more scrutinized, but the 24-year-old’s focus appears to be elsewhere.
Granted, that’s what time off is for, to regroup before the more daunting work begins. But this is also why some people don’t take Sheduer Sanders seriously as a potential franchise quarterback in the NFL.
Interestingly, Ryan has gone back and forth in his opinion on the young QB. Last September, he put the rookie on blast for the way he behaved on the sidelines during a game, but in November, Ryan was questioning why the Browns drafted him in the first place if they weren’t going to give him a chance to play.
So, maybe the Sanders family should know better than to engage in a back-and-forth with Ryan, but that seems to be their style as well.
NEXT: Analyst Says Browns Had A Missed Opportunity With Shedeur Sanders
