Yardbarker
x
Shedeur Sanders' Veteran Teammate Says Deion Sanders 'Prepared' Rookie For Spotlight
Jun 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) talks to the media during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been a mainstream media fixture during the offseason for a team juggling four different players at the position. The former Colorado Buffaloes All-American is already one of the marquee names in the NFL despite being a fifth-round draft pick after a tumultuous pre-draft journey and having never taken a snap in an NFL game. 

Part of why Sanders is so popular is because he’s proven to be a very good college quarterback who broke records and two programs. The other part of that is he’s the son of arguably the greatest defensive back to ever play football and now, one of the highest-paid coaches in all of college football, Deion “Primetime” Sanders. The spotlight has followed Sanders since he was a child, and his teammates believe it prepared him to handle the media storm in the NFL. 

 “He’s been amazing. A sponge, I would say. It’s just crazy that a guy this young with this much notoriety can just handle media. I think his dad has really taught him how to be that guy in the spotlight and understand what comes with it,” said Cleveland Browns star cornerback Greg Newsome II. 

One of the most discussed topics has been the rep distribution as Sanders has yet to take snaps with the first team offense despite shredding the second and third team groups. While contentious to the masses, Sanders has a clear perspective on his current standing and what he can learn from it while he’s developing into the player he believes he can be in time. 

"So, I look at it as a plus. I got time to actually be able to really have a great understanding and whenever it's time for me to play, then it's time for me to play. But I'm not looking too far in the future about all that. I'm looking [at] every day in practice....I'm focused on the small things and over time the big things will happen,” said Sanders to reporters after mandatory minicamp. 

For the discourse during the pre-draft process, Sanders is continually proving to be wise beyond his years and every time he has a press conference session, that fact gets reiterated. While Sanders is understanding of the situation, he also understands what the outside noise will be like when he gets that opportunity to play with the best of the best. 

"So, there's no excuses because when you get out there, nobody cares how many reps you got whenever you get in the game. Nobody cares if you took a snap before. Everybody cares about production. So that's the main thing when you get out there: You got to be able to produce,” Sanders added. 

Sanders is handling his business the right way and finding ways to grow as he fights for a slot in a crowded quarterback room. The finish line isn’t within sight just yet, but Sanders is making it hard to ignore the progress. 


This article first appeared on Colorado Buffaloes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!