Analyst Colin Cowherd has been one of the biggest critics of Shedeur Sanders since he arrived at the NFL. When the son of NFL great Deion Sanders played well during his preseason opener with the Cleveland Browns, the analyst did not change his tune, and instead blamed dad Deion for that draft slide. Shedeur initially was projected to go in the first round but was drafted in the fifth round instead.
During the Aug. 11 episode of “The Colin Cowherd Podcast,” Cowherd touched on Shedeur’s draft slide and noted that it was the Colorado head coach that fumbled his son’s draft process. He also pointed out that Colorado did not win much even in a division that was not considered very competitive.
“I’ve said this from the beginning, Deion did him no favors. He really butchered the pre-draft stuff,” Cowherd said. “He’s not talented enough to just say I’m not talking to you. Cam Newton’s one of the few you’re like, Cam’s going to get drafted. Big, tall, fast, strong. May have been the most dominant SEC player I’ve ever seen when the SEC was clearly the best conference. But I mean, the Big 12, you know, stunk and and Shedeur didn’t win a lot of games.” (8:55)
Despite his impressive performance on Friday during his NFL debut, Shedeur Sanders still has to fight for a spot in the Cleveland Browns’ active roster, as the NFL only allows three quarterbacks to be active during the regular season.
Shedeur is currently listed at No. 4 in the depth rankings, but many believe his performance against the Carolina Panthers is changing some minds.
Cleveland Browns Possibly Keeping Shedeur and Other Three Quarterbacks During 2025 Season
Meanwhile, there is a possibility that Cleveland might keep all four of its main quarterbacks, though one might be relegated because of the NFL rule. The possibility arose after Shedeur Sanders’ performance against the Carolina Panthers on Friday.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic noted that he believes the Browns might keep Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, and there is a possibility that they may even release Pickett or trade him midseason. They might even use Sanders or Gabriel as trade bait.
The Browns’ quarterback situation is a unique one in the NFL, as all four of the active ones might possibly become the QB1. For now, Joe Flacco is listed as the QB1, with the other three being possible backups for him. Flacco was ranked No. 1 in the depth rankings, as he was the only quarterback not to suffer any injuries during training camp despite his age.
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