Shedeur Sanders, Browns fans enter relationship, but there's a lot to overcome

New York Times

3 days ago

Hello and welcome. Name tags are by the door and refreshments are along the wall. For those of you in the back, there are plenty of good seats available up front. The last guy we had here wrecked the place and ran everyone off.
I've called you all here today to try to work out an agreement on this co-op. Those of you new to Northeast Ohio, those of you in No. 12 jerseys with a song in your heart, are only here for Shedeur Sanders. You're not really Cleveland Browns fans; you're Sanders fans. There's nothing wrong with that. Check out the Rock Hall while you're here. Try some pierogies, and we hope you enjoy your stay. Please excuse those broken among us sobbing quietly in Bernie Kosar jerseys. They've seen some things. They live in darkness.
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It's not that longtime Browns fans aren't excited for Sanders. If we're being honest, fans here get excited for anyone who shows up on time, brings flowers, holds the door and picks up the check. Most of the quarterbacks we're accustomed to around here can't keep a steady job and have trouble committing.
As a result, Sanders' 138 passing yards and two touchdowns in the Browns' preseason opener at Carolina have made many of you swoon — even a few of you in the Kosar jerseys.
We don't even know his favorite color or whether he likes dogs, but more than a few Browns fans spent the weekend ring shopping and are ready to run out and marry again. Or maybe that's just the Sanders fans insisting this one will be different and he won't hurt you like all the rest.
Shouldn't have passed on Sheduer Sanders.. smh https://t.co/Fw4s0bEcjc
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) August 10, 2025
Sanders fans need to understand that the Browns' fan base never healed from the Baker Mayfield blood wars of 2021. Fans were divided over what to do with Mayfield, who wasn't good enough even when he was healthy.
Trading Mayfield and (sort of) welcoming Deshaun Watson fractured the fan base in a way I've never seen. Mayfield was beloved by many. Watson was despised by more. He never created much goodwill here. Injuries and poor play wrecked any chance at salvaging the marriage. Instead, Watson caught the couch on fire and burned down the house. Jimmy Haslam never bothered to buy fire insurance.
So here are Browns fans again, covered in smoke and soot, a scrapbook tucked under each arm from that one playoff win five years ago, looking for a clean room with cable television and maybe a hot shower. That's it. That's the bar.
Sanders has earned more practice reps in the future. He should be gaining the trust of the coaching staff. He won't be the Week 1 starter, nor should he. However, he has passed every test the Browns have laid before him to this point. This is a massive week in determining Cleveland's next quarterback. Joint practices and a preseason game with the Philadelphia Eagles will give Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel time to catch up on some of the reps they've missed recently with sore hamstrings. Sanders deserves reps, too.
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Meanwhile, Joe Flacco seems to be separating himself as the starter — particularly if Pickett misses more time this week — and the Browns have to get Flacco ready, too. This is the problem with juggling four quarterbacks. There aren't enough reps for everyone. If Pickett and/or Gabriel are too injured to participate this week at full strength, they are likely eliminated from the competition.
Sanders made some terrific throws into tight spaces against the Panthers' backups. All the traits to like about him — his accuracy, his toughness — were on full display. There are certainly other areas of his house to clean up, such as running backward when escaping pressure. That will lead to disaster in real games.
Watching Sanders play Friday reminded me of Kyle Shanahan telling San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York one day during training camp that Brock Purdy was the best quarterback on their roster. The problem with that was that Purdy was a rookie and the final pick in the draft. At the time, he was stuck behind both Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, whom the franchise invested in heavily.
Despite Shanahan's early admission, Purdy had to sit and wait. He didn't start his first game until December of his rookie season and only after injuries forced out the two quarterbacks in front of him. Purdy has been the unquestioned leader of the 49ers ever since.
Could something similar happen here? Sure. I wrote last week and still firmly believe the Browns entered training camp believing their franchise quarterback was in next year's draft. It's on Sanders to change their minds beyond a reasonable doubt. His game against the Panthers was a great start.
For now, it's perfectly all right for Browns fans and Sanders fans to co-exist if everyone is just a little patient and understanding of the other. It's been a hard few years for Browns fans, full of despair and smoke inhalation. Fans haven't had much reason for joy. Sanders can perhaps provide some of that.
Can it lead to a healthy, stable relationship?
Too early to say. We still have to meet the parents.
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