Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) scrambles during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Robert Griffin III Drops Pointed Claim on Browns QB Shedeur Sanders

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Matthew Schmidt | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 12:56 PM ET

Everyone was stunned when Shedeur Sanders slipped to the fifth round of the NFL Draft back in April, where the Cleveland Browns ultimately traded up to acquire him. The fact that the Browns had already selected fellow quarterback Dillon Gabriel earlier in the draft added another interesting wrinkle, too.

Sanders was expected to be a first-round pick, so his slide was certainly jarring. But the past is the past, and now, the former Colorado Buffaloes star is competing for the starting quarterback job in Cleveland, battling with three other signal-callers.

Here's the thing, though: the Browns clearly aren't prioritizing Sanders, and their unofficial quarterback depth chart revealed he is dead last behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Gabriel.

Well, former NFL star Robert Griffin III does not like the way Cleveland is handling Sanders and went as far to drop a rather controversial take on the youngster on social media this week, claiming that he is being set up to fail.

Shedeur Sanders is being set up to fail in Cleveland. But God’s got him showing out even with limited reps.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 5, 2025

It's important to note that Griffin isn't exactly saying this the Browns are doing this intentionally; just that they are not exactly putting Sanders in the best possible position to succeed, and on that end, he might have a point. But that isn't just limited to Sanders.

Browns Have Tons of Offensive Issues

Cleveland is making it truly difficult for any quarterback to step in and experience success at the moment. The Browns have a very thin receiving corps, their offensive line has significant question marks and their rushing attack is a mystery.

No matter who is under center for Cleveland come Week 1 is going to have quite a difficult task ahead of them, whether that's 40-year-old Flacco or the rookie Sanders.

It's also worth noting that the Browns may not view Sanders as their quarterback of the future. They went just 3-14 last season and didn't take him until Day 3 of the draft in spite of having a glaring issue at quarterback. It stands to reason that Cleveland is instead aiming for one of the top signal-callers in next year's draft class, which will likely be teeming with talent at the position.

The Browns could simply view 2025 as a bridge year to next season, which is when they may truly identify their franchise quarterback. And it might not be Sanders.

So is Cleveland setting Sanders up to fail? We probably shouldn't go that far, but it's definitely not an enviable situation for him.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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