Shedeur Sanders fan narratives— Part 7: The Browns treatment of him is disrespectful

*Editor's note: This 12-part series takes an extended look into the early NFL career of Colorado legend Shedeur Sanders and the conversations by fans. View the entire series here.

Here we go again with the misuse of terminology. Respect and by extension disrespect are words thrown around in our society entirely too loosely. At its core, “respect” is an earned concept. No one is born with respect. Sure, there is an understanding that every human being deserves a base level of respect for simply existing. I’m a human being, you’re a human being, we should have some semblance of mutual respect based on that concept alone. But, that is not the kind of respect we’re talking about. 

The respect echoed in this narrative comes from a sense of believing Shedeur Sanders has already earned a certain level of football respect for time served and achievements made in college. Let me stop you right there. No player enters the NFL with an abundance of respect from what they did in college. Did some Browns players probably ask Shedeur about his performance against Baylor? Oklahoma State? Colorado State? TCU? Yeah, probably. But every player who has ever entered the NFL knows, those performances were great but don’t buy him anything. 

Football is one of the last great meritocracies. Meaning everything is based on merit. No amount of yards, wins, TD-to-INT ratios bestows a player with the ability to skip past the process of earning it at this level. Many young men have entered the league with staggeringly impressive numbers and performances. If you think they didn’t have to earn their spot or convince a staff they didn’t have to prove it first, you’re lying to yourself. 

The essence of the “Disrespectful” comment comes from believing he has already earned that respect, which is an oxymoron. You can’t fundamentally earn that respect until you’ve been through the fire. Players and coaches respect the work. The very mention or assumption that Shedeur wouldn’t have to earn everything all over again is a failed premise. If he had a 90% completion percentage, threw for 10,000 yards, 70 touchdowns with no interceptions in his last year in college, he still would have to earn everything all over again. 

We need to be gracious and tip toe around this one. There is only one kind of person who doesn’t have to prove themselves to anyone conceptually.  The issue is they typically cease to be referred to as a “person” once they reach that status. Those “people” are typically anointed religious figures who have a faith-based flock basing their view on ‘divinity’. If you are a person who believes Shedeur Sanders is one of God’s chosen, that’s fine. But that is a theological conversation that has no impact whatsoever on a football conversation. No first ballot hall of fame player has ever been ‘anointed’ or told he’s already earned football respect simply by showing up. 

In the conversation of respect vs disrespect and Shedeur’s treatment, those who follow the NFL intently for all 12 months of the year are forced to ask one question. What exactly is the ‘treatment’ you expect Shedeur should receive? The answer to that question will reveal all we need to know. 

Many fans seemingly came into this process believing there is a treatment he should expect. Based on that commentary, any answer that has been given reflects a level of treatment that no NFL rookie has ever had, ever. If you are expecting treatment that no one else has ever received, this idea is conceptually contradictory and ridiculous. NFL rookies by nature, aren’t treated well. 

While the league no longer tolerates ‘hazing’, the rookie experience is still heavily influenced by the idea that rookies are less than. That’s why rookies have to sing in front of veterans in meetings, carry other players’ equipment, and why they are typically on coffee and donut duty. Funny how LaJohntay Wester had been seen carrying five other players’ helmets and shoulder pads to and from practice, but no one is claiming poor treatment with Wester. 

Shedeur Sanders is not receiving preferential treatment, which no rookie ever does, and fans are ‘choosing’ to see that as a slight of disrespect. These players are expected to fight for everything they earn, making a ‘disrespectful treatment’ argument completely laughable. It comes down to expectation vs reality. The fan expectation was Shedeur would be drafted high, be the expected starter from day one, and be given everything based on his college career. None of that last sentence has ever been true. For anyone. If the expectation going in was, Shedeur had an incredible college career, but now he has to go earn it in the NFL, no one anywhere would’ve floated this narrative. 

Shedeur has not been disrespected at any point of this process. If one wants to make an argument that Deion Sanders was disrespected during draft weekend, you can make that argument. You cannot functionally make the argument that Shedeur is being disrespected because that is based on a non-football concept of what he should be given without earning it. Respect is earned and before this process is over, Shedeur will earn respect. There is no eventuality where that respect is gained by any means other than earning it. All over again at the NFL level.