Shedeur Sanders looks like he belongs in the NFL.
And not just with measurables or mechanics. We’re talking presence. Confidence. The kind of leadership that makes guys want to follow you, not because they have to, but because they can’t help it.
We've all heard the doubts about whether Shedeur’s game will translate. Fifth-round pick. “Doesn't have Coach Prime.” Overhyped. We've all heard the noise.
But if you’ve been watching how he’s moving since arriving in Cleveland, you know this isn’t just another developmental QB taking reps in rookie camp. This is something different. This is a young man carrying the energy of someone who’s been training for this his whole life.
And he has.
“Leader in the clubhouse” already?
On ESPN's Get Up, former Super Bowl champ Chris Canty called Sanders the “leader in the clubhouse” following Browns rookie minicamp. Why? Because the team is already gravitating to him.
"I'm going with whoever my locker room responds to the most," Canty said. "Just based on how the rookies reacted to him… it feels like people are gravitating toward Shedeur Sanders."
We saw it too. The Shedeur "watch" celebration flashed by teammates on day one. Sideline laughs with star rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. That calm, polished way he handled the media on day two.
Shedeur’s already setting the tone. He hasn’t even put on pads yet.
Stefanski is sold
Even Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski can’t hide it anymore.
“He's in there early, he's getting his work done, he's working really, really hard. I like everything there is about Shedeur,” Stefanski said this week on ESPN Cleveland.
That’s the kind of praise coaches usually save for established starters—not fifth-round rookies in a jam-packed QB room.
And yet here we are. Flacco? 40 years old.
Pickett? Largely unproven.
Gabriel? Higher pick, but undersized.
Watson? I don't even know anymore.
Meanwhile, Shedeur keeps showing up, early, every day and doing the work and looks to be winning hearts inside the building.
Media poise
Shedeur’s not just leading in the locker room, but, as we all expected, he’s comfortable in the spotlight too. That media grace we saw back at CU is still intact.
Asked at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere about competing with Joe Flacco, Shedeur smiled and said:
"It’s just so funny. We’re on the same team. People try to put us against each other, but inside the room, we know we are one."Shedeur Sanders at NFLPA Premier
That’s a vet answer.
Chris Canty hit the nail on the head—this isn’t some fluke. It’s the product of growing up around the game. When your dad is Deion Sanders, you’ve probably picked up a thing or two about how to carry yourself under pressure.
What this means for the CU community
If you’ve been following Shedeur since his Buffs debut vs TCU, this should all feel familiar. This is exactly who he was in Boulder. Poised. Unbothered. And most importantly, clutch.
He’s got that same energy going into a Browns franchise that’s desperate for a great hope under center. And whether he wins the starting job outright or not, don’t be surprised if he ends up playing serious meaningful snaps in preseason.
Coach Prime said Shedeur was built for this. Cleveland’s starting to believe it too.
And for us watching from afar? There’s a quiet satisfaction in seeing Shedeur shine so well and so early.
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