Former Cleveland Browns head coach raises fair point on why people may need to cut Shedeur Sanders just a little bit of slack

OTAs have come and gone for the Cleveland Browns, and the team won’t be back in action until training camp kicks off toward the end of July.

Most of last week’s headlines centered around rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was pulled over by law enforcement and accused of driving over 100 mph. This marks the second reported traffic citation for Sanders in the Cleveland area since he was drafted.

It’s not the kind of attention you want when you’re fighting for a roster spot as a fifth-round pick. However, one former Browns head coach made a fair point in his defense.

“I don’t love it from a fifth-round draft pick,” Eric Mangini recently said. “I don’t love that it’s happened multiple times. I do think this is the first time he’s away from his dad, and there are going to be some growing pains. Would I sell my stock on him like you are? No. A couple of speeding tickets—especially in light of the legal problems the Browns quarterback room has dealt with over the last few years—this is nothing.”

“This is, in fairness to Shedeur, the first time he’s been outside his dad’s oversight, his dad’s house,” Mangini continued. “I think he was his high school coach, then his college coach. This is like any kid who’s away from home for the first time. There are going to be a couple of hiccups here and there.”