Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders has had a crazy year. He entered the year as a presumptive top pick in the 2025 NFL draft. However, when the draft took place, he had a historic slide to the fifth round before he was picked up by the Cleveland Browns.
On Friday, Sanders got a big opportunity as he was named the starter for the Browns’ first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Despite being the fourth-string QB, Sanders got this chance because Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel were dealing with injuries. He did not squander the opportunity as he performed well, completing 14 of 23 passing attempts for 138 yards and two TDs.
After the game, Skip Bayless posted a video on YouTube where he discussed the performance. He also went out of his way to point out that he shamed all 32 NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, for letting him fall so far in the draft.
“Tonight at Carolina, Shedeur Sanders made all those teams that had 143 chances to draft him before he went 144th. He shamed all of them, including the Cleveland Browns, who finally took him in the fifth round,” Skip Bayless said (Timestamp 0:20). “I’m convinced it’s only because the publicity-starved owner just wanted some more shock-value publicity.”
“He knew what would happen: the national media would descend on the Browns’ camp, making it a story that might distract the rest of the world from the mess that Jimmy Haslam has made of the Cleveland Browns, especially after he gave $230 million to Deshaun Watson.”
Skip Bayless went on to reiterate his point from before last college season. He was a big supporter of Sanders, believing he and Travis Hunter were the two clear-cut best prospects in the 2025 NFL draft. He said he would have picked Sanders first because he is the quarterback.
Shedeur Sanders Also Earns Praise From His Head Coach
While Shedeur Sanders was likely happy to get praise from various people in the media, including Skip Bayless, it is more important for him to get praised by people on the Browns. After the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke about Sanders’ performance. While he was pleased with his play, he gave a much more measured take than Bayless.
He told reporters that Sanders performed well, along with the rest of the offense, but there are still things he can work on. However, he emphasized that despite not being perfect, overall, he was happy with the performance from Shedeur Sanders.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
