Shedeur Sanders surfaced on social media after a concerning shift in the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition.
Sanders published a series of photos on Instagram showing him wearing a Gucci jacket during what appeared to be a fancy night out. He captioned the post with his signature “$²” and did not directly address his reduced practice role or the Browns’ quarterback situation.
The post quickly drew tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, including a message from Sanders’ father, Deion Sanders.
“Stunting Like Yo Daddy!” Deion wrote.
Sanders also received plenty of support from fans amid growing questions about his standing in Cleveland.
“Number 2 but we know he The One,” one person commented.
“Probably the most embraced player that’s came to our city outside of Bron,” another wrote.
“Let them hate until they can’t hate no more!” another added.
Shedeur Sanders Loses Ground in Browns QB Battle
Saturday was expected to be Sanders’ turn to lead Cleveland’s starting offense after he and Deshaun Watson had alternated days with the top unit throughout training camp. Instead, Watson remained with the first team and opened several competitive periods, contradicting the rotation Monken had outlined less than an hour before practice.
A Browns spokesperson explained that Monken wanted to evaluate specific personnel groupings with Watson. Still, the altered rep distribution marked Cleveland’s clearest departure yet from its quarterback rotation.
Additionally, Sanders did not just lose out on first-team work. Dillon Gabriel also received significant snaps with the second-team offense, raising questions about whether Sanders had slipped to No. 3 in the quarterback order.
Monken had previously said changes in the practice rotation would provide some indication of how the competition was progressing. Although one practice does not settle the depth chart, Watson’s increased workload and Gabriel’s involvement made the situation difficult to dismiss.
Browns Closing in on Starting QB Decision
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken during a training camp practice.
The Browns are expected to decide by Monday which quarterback will start their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears. Monken has maintained that Watson and Sanders should each receive significant opportunities during the preseason, including the possibility of one start apiece. He also acknowledged that the plan remains subject to change based on how the competition unfolds.
Watson appears to have gained momentum after shaking off a turnover-filled start to camp. His experience and recent command of the first team have positioned him as the apparent favorite to open the preseason atop the depth chart.
That said, Watson will have to quiet concerns about his recent injury history and rust in live-game situations. He has not played since 2024, missing all of last season recovering from a pair of Achilles surgeries.
“In my conversations with Deshaun, his physical health came first, and I wanted to make sure there’d be no repercussion for him physically from what we were doing on the field,” Browns quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian said. “He’s assured me — he said, ‘Coach, I’m in the best shape of my life, let’s take the reins off and go.’ So it hasn’t been a consideration in anything we’ve done, physically or mentally, in his preparation.”
It looks like Watson will get a shot to change the narrative around his tenure in Cleveland soon enough.
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