Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski works with Shedeur Sanders.
There’s been a lot of chatter about Shedeur Sanders’ chances of winning the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback job. However, his first priority as a fifth-round pick should be just making the team, according to general manager Andrew Berry.
The Browns ended Sanders’ fall in the draft, selecting him with the No. 144 overall pick in the fifth round. He joins the Browns as the fourth quarterback on the roster, alongside fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick, and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
Sanders faces an uphill battle in the quarterback competition as a fifth-round pick. And Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Sanders and the rest of the rookies should be focused on simply making the team at this point.
“Yeah, I’d say it’s less about challenging him specifically and more about our rookies in general,” Berry said during an interview on 92.3 The Fan. “They’ve all got to come up the learning curve quickly. They’re in a new system, they’re in a new environment, they’re learning new skills kind of on the job. And Kevin’s message to them last night during the first team meeting was, hey, your focus is — I’m going to sound like a broken record here — but it’s to make the team, nobody here has made the team yet. So it’s making the team. And then after that, it’s earning a role. That’s the same thing for Shedeur.”
Shedeur Sanders Embracing Opportunity With Browns
Sanders was on the field for the Browns for the first time this week during rookie minicamp. It runs through the weekend before they combine with the veterans next week.
Sanders has handled himself well, splitting reps with Gabriel. He’s not trying to make too big of a deal about what he plans to do in Cleveland and the criticism he’s faced.
“My job here isn’t to prove people wrong, it’s to prove myself right and I fully have self-belief, you know, and what those people say, that’s just their opinion,” Sanders said, via a transcript from the team. “So, I don’t truly care. They don’t really live in my mental space about that type of stuff. It really doesn’t do anything for me.
“I just find something I want to perfect and just perfect it to the best of my abilities and that’s all I really focus on, just being there, just being a leader, being a great teammate, doing what I need to do whenever it is. So I’m just thankful for our opportunity. Things could have been a lot worse, but I’m here smiling in front of you all at this facility right now.”
Dillon Gabriel Embracing Browns Teammate Shedeur Sanders
Getty ImagesCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
The selection of Sanders put some additional pressure and attention on Gabriel. But the former Oregon standout has embraced Sanders around and is focused on building camaraderie within the quarterback room. Gabriel had a sharp response when asked if the competition between he and Sanders is a distraction.
“I think the more questions I get asked like that, it just divides the team. And for me, I think – we’re in a room full of not just us, but Kenny, Joe and Deshaun,” Gabriel said. “For us, we know how important a healthy QB room is, but also a team that you want to be a part of, and how do you create an environment every single day where everyone can be at their best and that’s just pushing one another, which talent naturally does. And you know, naturally it’s healthy for us where we all go do our thing and everyone wins.”
Gabriel has a nice resume of his own to lean on. The 24-year-old was the most experienced quarterback in the draft. Over six seasons, he played for UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon, starting a record-setting 63 games. In his final collegiate season at Oregon, Gabriel led the Ducks to a 13–1 record and a Big Ten championship, throwing for 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where they have been covering the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. More about J.R. DeGroote
