The reaction didn’t stop with one viral comment.
After former Colorado safety Shilo Sanders told Cleveland Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot to “Go make a sandwich Mary.” The moment quickly spread, and so did the backlash.
The comment came in response to Cabot reporting that Deshaun Watson was ahead in the QB1 race over Sanders’ brother, former Colorado star Shedeur Sanders.
That context is central to how Shilo sees it.
Among those criticizing the remark was Emmanuel Acho, who said to Sanders that “Mary Kay is better at what she does than you are at what you do,” adding that regardless of intent, the comment was “out of bounds.”
Sanders addressed that directly during an appearance on the Coach JB Show.
“I don’t hate women. I love women,” Sanders said. “That is just stupid.”
Instead, Sanders framed his response as part of a larger reality, one where he sees himself not as a player tied to a roster, but as someone operating in the media space.
“I’m not on a team. I’m a media guy. No different than you. No different than her,” Sanders said. “If I see something that interests me, I can talk about it...This is my thing. I'm a grown man. I'm 26. I have my own platform. I've been building it for year and year while I've been playing."
For Sanders, that includes defending family. Coach JB echoed that point during the segment.
“That’s what he should do,” he said. “He’s defending his brother.”
Sanders also pointed to a buildup behind the moment, suggesting there had been prior commentary involving him and his family that went unanswered.
But what everyone doesn't know is that it's been going on for so long, and she's even talked about me...I need you guys to do homework on her also. I'm not trying to attack nobody. I don't... | live in Miami. I don't want to be that guy."
Still, Sanders pushed back on the broader reaction, questioning why responses from athletes or former players are often treated differently than those from reporters.
“How long can we let this go on where people are just talking about you and you can’t even say anything?” he said. “That’s not real life.”
At the same time, he downplayed any personal animosity, even hinting the situation doesn’t have to stay heated.
“Maybe one day me and Mary Kay could make a YouTube video making sandwiches together,” Sanders said.
The criticism isn’t going away, especially with voices like Acho weighing in publicly. But Sanders isn’t retreating from it.
“I’m a grown man. I have my own platform,” he said. “Whatever I see, whatever I want to respond to, that’s what I’m going to respond to.”
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