Colorado Buffaloes legend Shedeur Sanders addresses off-field mistakes during Browns charity softball game

It's not exactly the spotlight Shedeur Sanders had in mind.

Just days after being cited for driving 101 mph in a 60 zone—which is apparently his second speeding ticket in less than two weeks—former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders finally broke his silence.

But it didn’t come in a press conference or through a team-issued statement. It came in a softball dugout.

At David Njoku’s Celebrity Softball Game in Eastlake, Ohio, Sanders turned a lighthearted exchange with rapper Doe Boy into something deeper.

“I’ve made some wrong choices,” Sanders said, smiling, but not ducking. “I can own up to it. I learn from them.”

It was a shift in tone—something that felt needed after a rough couple of weeks for Sanders’ image.

Because let’s not sugarcoat it: this isn’t a good look.

Sanders is in the middle of a three-way quarterback competition in Cleveland. He’s a fifth-round pick trying to earn a spot in a room that already includes Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Every rep matters. Every impression matters.

And now, instead of the media focusing on whether Shedeur’s talent will translate to Sundays, the conversation has veered off the road entirely—literally.

More details have been coming out due to court records becoming public. He's had, not one, but two speeding tickets, and even worse, he missed a court date for one of them. His first ticket, 91 mph in a 65, came on the final day of Browns OTAs. The second, 101 in a 60, happened during rookie orientation.

That kind of pattern raises questions, not just about maturity, but about commitment—fair or not.

As someone who just this week defended Sanders against early OTA overreactions, this is frustrating.

I wrote that we shouldn’t read too much into June minicamp reps. That it was far too early to crown Dillon Gabriel or count out Shedeur Sanders.

But you can’t afford two high-speed citations and off-the-field distractions when you’re still earning a spot.

To Shedeur’s credit, he seems to understand that. And you could see it on his face during the softball game. The smile was there, sure. But so is the weight. This was a young quarterback trying to own it and move forward.

And to be fair, it wasn’t all bad news in Ohio.

Sanders was swarmed by fans, including one young voice yelling, “You’re QB1! Nobody else but you!” Sanders smiled and replied, “I need him to be my motivator.” He laughed, signed autographs, and even knocked in an RBI double—showing off a bit of the two-sport DNA he inherited from his Hall of Fame father.

This is still the same Shedeur Buffs fans remember. The young man who made Colorado football matter again.

But if he wants to win over Cleveland—and win this quarterback battle—he has to prove more than just talent. He has to prove he can be trusted.

Right now, the Browns are saying very little publicly. According to reports, they expect Sanders to “take care of” the tickets. But there’s no doubt the coaching staff is watching closely.

They have to. In the NFL, your off-field decisions matter just as much as your arm strength, availability and accountability.

There’s still time for Shedeur to right the ship. Rookies report to training camp on July 18. Between now and then, Sanders has to show growth—off the field, in the playbook, and in his daily discipline.

One quote won’t erase his two speeding tickets. But maybe, just maybe, it’s the start of a better chapter.

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