Shedeur Sanders’ first season in the NFL was not as smooth as he wanted, and there are still many questions about him. Not only are people wondering about his talent level, but others are also curious whether he’ll be the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback next year.
Sanders has received so much attention since being drafted, and not all of it has been positive. But his teammate, Shelby Harris, firmly stands beside him. Speaking to Wake Up Barstool, Harris praised Sanders and said that any negative talk about him is “trash.”
Harris loves the way Sanders carries himself and predicts big things for his future.
“We love Shedeur. The way he carries himself in the locker room—he’s one of the guys. He’s just always around everybody. All these bad things that you heard about Shedeur before the draft was trash. It’s people trying to tear down his name. That’s not who he was at all. I know other quarterbacks who are like that, and that’s not him. I’ll always stand up for him because it’s not fair for him to have this negative outline of himself when that’s not him. He’s a great kid, and I’m excited to see what his future holds,” Harris said.
.@ShelbyHarris93 has nothing but great things to say about Shedeur Sanders pic.twitter.com/XURkJilqia
— Wake Up Barstool (@wakeupbarstool) January 30, 2026
Even if he isn’t having the impact he’d like on the field, Sanders is obviously impressing the men he’s playing with. After just one year, it sounds like he’s a vital part of the Browns’ culture and chemistry. That is a key feature that all starting quarterbacks should have.
Still, Sanders’ future with the Browns isn’t guaranteed, even though he’s built a strong relationship with his teammates. There is ambiguity about what’s next for him, and the team isn’t offering much clarity.
Some reports have said Cleveland is considering acquiring a different quarterback in free agency. Names like Malik Willis have been floated as potential candidates.
However, other reports say the front office questioned head-coach candidates about working with and developing Sanders as their go-to QB. It seems like the team is still weighing its options. There is still a lot of attention on Sanders, and no matter what happens, he will continue to face criticism, but Harris feels much of it is unfounded.
Sanders obviously has the support of his Browns teammates.
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