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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders received some kind words from Myles Garrett.
Cleveland Browns star pass rusher Myles Garrett doesn’t mince words when it comes to rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders started seven games as a rookie during a roller-coaster debut season in the NFL. A fifth-round pick after a surprising slide on draft day, he opened the year buried on the depth chart before stepping into a larger role when his opportunity arrived.
Sanders finished with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet but only tell part of the story. Playing in an offense that lacked playmakers and rarely provided consistent protection up front, he still flashed upside, showing playmaking ability and poise in tough moments.
Asked for his take on Sanders, Garrett boiled it down to a single word: unflappable.
“He’s pretty unflappable,” Garrett told DJ Siddiqi of Casino Guru News. “The guy goes out there, he’s always himself, he stays true to him and he’s just confident.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Feels He Can Dominate in NFL
Sanders is certainly not lacking confidence but knows consistency is still the next step. But any internal doubt about whether he belongs is gone. He said last season proved he can not only compete at the NFL level, but dominate.
“You can see it. It’s kind of like mastering how to get to that place all the time,” Sanders said on the Up & Adams show. “You have flashes. That’s the most thing I appreciate about this year is that I proved to myself, I’m able to dominate the league. But I’m able to take completions, I’m able to put all of that together, and definitely in games, we have flashes, but I know I’m capable of doing that. Now, to do it on a consistent basis, that’s what the goal is.”
Browns head coach Todd Monken has yet to name a starter or indicate whether Sanders has an edge in the quarterback competition after finishing last season atop the depth chart. Still, Sanders has the backing of Garrett, who is content to let the young quarterback earn it.
“That’s who we’re looking at as the guy. We’re going to give him a shot to prove that he is the guy. We’re not gonna give anyone that title until they go out there and earn it.” Garrett said during a podcast with Micah Parsons. “He was last person to be on the field, and you saw some flashes. So, we’re going to give him an opportunity to show what he can really do.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Will Have Competition
As it stands, the Browns have Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel under contract for next season. Watson is heading into the final year of his contract with the Browns, but has the attention of Monken, who is intrigued by his Pro Bowl past.
“You’ve got two young players who still have a long way to go in terms of development, and that’s just part of the learning curve in the NFL,” Monken said during an interview with Ashley Holder of Cleveland 19 News. “Then you have a player like Deshaun, who is coming back from injury and was once a Pro Bowl player and an elite player in this league. We would love to tap back into that.”
Watson arrived in Cleveland back in 2022 via a blockbuster trade. That move has been a disaster for the Browns. He’s appeared in just 19 games in Cleveland, going 9-10 in those starts. He’s missed significant time due to a lengthy suspension and multiple season-ending injuries. Watson sat out all of last season recovering from a twice-ruptured Achilles. He returned to practice for three weeks in December but was never activated to the 53-man roster.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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