Shedeur Sanders might be a rookie, but he sounds like a pro.
The former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback is officially in the mix in one of the NFL’s most crowded—and closely watched—quarterback rooms. The Cleveland Browns who have five signal-callers on the roster, and each one has a case to make for reps heading into the 2025 season.
But despite the headlines and inevitable speculation, Sanders says things inside the locker room are as steady as ever.
“Everybody in that room is cool,” Sanders told Up & Adams host Kay Adams. “Outside the room, people try to put us against each other. But inside the room, we know we’re one.”
Shedeur is basically coming right out and saying it: The QB room is not divided.
Relationship with Joe Flacco
Sanders was drafted in the fifth round by the Browns and enters rookie minicamp sharing a room with NFL veteran Joe Flacco, who is predicted by most as being the favorite to be the starter for this Browns squad.
The QB room is loaded with experience and name recognition, but for Sanders, he sees this as an opportunity not an obstacle.
“At practice I’m like, ‘Wow, I’m really with Joe Flacco right now. We’re on the same team.’ So that’s cool,” he said. “And Deshaun, of course. He’s active and in all of the meetings, so it’s cool talking to him.”
Sanders said Flacco has already stepped into a mentor role, offering advice and perspective on the game. It’s not every day you get to learn from a Super Bowl MVP.
Reps are going to be scarce
With Flacco and Pickett expected to take most of the first and second team reps in OTAs, Shedeur is currently splitting third and fourth team work with Flacco. It’s a developmental position—for now—but the competition is far from settled.
The Browns' OTA schedule runs May 27-29 and June 3-5, with a mandatory veteran minicamp set for June 10-12. That’s when the pecking order could really start to take shape.
“It’s funny because we’re all different characters,” Sanders said. “But it’s good energy.”
The Browns clearly liked what they saw in Sanders enough to bring him into an already full room, and there’s growing optimism that he could be the starter.
Many are predicting Shedeur to start
We've heard from guys like Lesean McCoy and Scot McCloughlin predicting Shedeur Sanders will be the Browns Week 1 starter. And this morning the predictions continued.
ESPN’s Louis Riddick didn’t hold back when discussing Shedeur’s upside, saying on Get Up, “If this is an organic competition with a level playing field, he will be your starter Week 1. No questions about it.”
We just keep hearing it each week. This adds even more fuel to the idea that Shedeur isn’t just there to learn—he’s there to win the job. And if the Browns truly let the best man win, Riddick believes Sanders has the tools, the mindset, and the maturity to take the reins right away.
We've seen this before. Sanders is at his best when the odds look stacked. From Jackson State to Folsom, now to the NFL, he’s always operated with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove to himself.
What happens next in Cleveland is anyone’s guess. There are no guarantees when you’re a fifth-round pick in a room full of vets and media scrutiny. But we know Shedeur is damn talented and he's going to compete his tail off.
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