Browns' Shedeur Sanders is keeping his starter’s job in Cleveland, and he clearly does not take that for granted. After a rough 26-8 loss to the 49ers in which he threw for 149 yards and a touchdown on 16-of-25 passing, Kevin Stefanski still named the rookie the Week 14 starter against the Titans.
Sanders called himself “thankful” for the opportunity and said he never forgets the feeling of not playing, vowing to make sure he doesn’t end up back on the bench as the Browns try to bounce back at home.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer added another layer to that decision, noting that Cleveland’s staff deliberately kept the reins tight on Sanders against San Francisco because of the awful weather and a desire to protect the rookie.
In Breer’s view, the real judgment comes next, with Tennessee on deck, predicting the Browns will “give him a little more rope” in Week 14 as conditions and matchups improve.
That dovetails with how Sanders is talking about his own growth. He admitted the offense “fell short” and said he needs to do a better job rallying everyone when adversity hits, instead of letting bad stretches snowball.
The Browns, for their part, have already committed to giving him an extended look down the stretch, and Breer’s read suggests the Tennessee game could be the first time fans really see what the staff is willing to put on his plate when they are not coaching scared of the elements.
Sanders has also made it crystal clear where he stands on Stefanski’s aggressive mindset. Asked after the 49ers game if he liked the coach going for it on multiple fourth-and-1s, including deep in Cleveland territory, Sanders bristled at the way the question was framed, calling it “rude” and refusing to second-guess the decision-making.
If Breer is right and the Browns finally let Sanders cut it loose against the Titans, Sunday could be the first real glimpse of what this partnership looks like when Cleveland stops hiding its rookie and starts finding out exactly what it has.
