Shedeur Sanders Remains Confident, Says He'd Like to Bring Cleveland a Super Bowl
Shedeur Sanders, the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback, was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, a shocking slide for a player once hyped as a top prospect.
But if fans were under the impression that fact would dampen his spirits as a competitor, they're in for major disappointment.
Advertisement
Speaking at John Marshall High School in Cleveland, Sanders boldly declared his goal to bring the Vince Lombardi trophy to the city.
'I'm trying to bring Cleveland, of course, a Super Bowl,' he told a roaring audience.
Shedeur Sanders Has Lofty Expectations
Now, I have no intention of jabbing Shedeur Sanders for the Super Bowl talk. Every player on every NFL team should want to reach the ultimate prize.
That said, there are layers to this thing.
And when you've been drafted into an organization with a crowded locker room full of quarterbacks, including veterans like Joe Flacco and Deshaun Watson, as well as the recently acquired Kenny Pickett. When you've been drafted behind another quarterback two rounds earlier in Dillon Gabriel.
Advertisement
And when you're joining an organization synonymous with losing and failed quarterback selections, who has never won a Super Bowl, you might want to temper the expectations.
The goal might be best expressed as, 'I'd like to work hard and compete for the starting quarterback job' or 'I'm just going to put my head down, work hard, and try to be a leader on the field and in the locker room.'
If Shedeur Sanders somehow did lead Cleveland to the ultimate prize after the drama of the NFL Draft, it'd be one of the most incredible climbs to the top of the mountain we've ever seen in sports. An ultimate 'in your face.'
We wish him well.
Advertisement
RELATED: Cris Carter: Shedeur Sanders' Flashy Image Cost Him Millions
His Confidence is a Plus – But so Far, It's also a Negative
Shedeur Sanders faces a steep climb to even secure a roster spot, let alone lead the team to glory.
The Browns, who haven't sniffed a Super Bowl in their entire franchise history, are pinning their hopes on a fifth-round pick with a flair for flashy watches, lavish parties, and big dreams.
Some NFL legends have attributed Sanders' cockiness for his fall in the draft. Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter said the Browns quarterback's over-inflated self-worth cost him $50 million with his very public slide.
Advertisement
'You're going for a job interview,' Carter said. 'So, for his job interview, he was so concerned about what his outfit was, his necklace was over a hundred grand. Like, he hadn't even convinced people that you're the face of our franchise.'
Former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason also emphasized that Shedeur's failure to take the pre-draft process seriously due to his overconfidence caused trouble.
'When you listen to this kid talk, right prior or at the combine, about how if you want a new culture in your locker room, I'm the guy to do that, I can turn it around, he's very high on himself, and I think he's very off-putting to many, many coaches and general managers in the league,' Esiason explained.
The Browns' front office didn't even seem thrilled to be taking him.
That doesn't look like a group thinking we just punched our ticket to the Super Bowl.
Advertisement
That said, Shedeur Sanders engaged with the Cleveland community and promised to be a positive influence on youth. Always a great thing to hear.
That's something that can be more easily attained. A more reasonable goal for the time being.
Also Read:: Cris Carter: Shedeur Sanders' Flashy Image Cost Him Millions

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shemar Stewart's agent goes public about Bengals contract standoff
The Cincinnati Bengals are closing in on Shemar Stewart being the only unsigned first-round pick in the NFL. Updates on the contract standoff over the team attempting to insert new language in regards to voiding guarantees continue to trickle in, too. Advertisement Next up are public comments from Stewart's agent, Zac Hiller. 'Obviously my job, and all agents' job, is to protect the players,' Hiller said on SiriusXM NFL Radio (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). 'Simply put, Shemar would, of course, love for his contract to be as protective as the rest of his Bengals teammates in the past. And, simply put, the way the contract currently reads is not as protective.' RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route Hiller added this, per Florio: 'If you want to make changes to your precedent, it should be a negotiation. It should be give and take. It shouldn't just be, 'Hey, we're changing this and sign it or go scratch.'' Advertisement So, at least from the player's side of things, the Bengals have attempted to change their longstanding contract precedent on this front without any sort of counterbalance to make it work. That, or what they're offering isn't good enough and justifies this very public, messy standoff. At this point, we're in he said, she said territory. Not that the Bengals say much about anything, really. What's interesting from Stewart's side is that had he been drafted elsewhere, these language quirks would've likely already been in place and none of this would've happened. Ditto for his choosing, unlike other unsigned rookies, to not participate at all this spring and early summer, before bashing the team in an interview and leaving minicamp early. Interesting from the Bengals' side, of course, is the sudden desire to change contract precedent and whether or not they're offering enough to make it worth it for Stewart to be the first. Advertisement As always, this likely ends in one side blinking and reaching across the aisle to make it work. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Shemar Stewart's agent goes public about Bengals contract standoff
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shemar Stewart could be willing to risk missing Bengals training camp
The ugly public standoff between the Cincinnati Bengals and first-round pick Shemar Stewart is something both parties would like to see wrapped up before training camp next month. But don't count on it. Advertisement NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe recently suggested that rumblings hint at Stewart and his reps being more than willing to let the standoff drag into training camp. 'And so, right now, there's a lot of posturing going on,' Wolfe said. 'There's no imminent deal, and from what I understand, Shemar is willing to linger this out through training camp if there's no deal.' RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route This report follows closely behind Stewart's agent going public on a radio show and explaining the contract beef. To keep things simple, the Bengals apparently want to change contract precedent with language regarding voidance of guarantees, starting with Stewart. He doesn't want to be the first and his agent suggests the Bengals aren't offering any way to make his being the first more attractive. Advertisement So far, Stewart and his reps have gone as far as not even practicing despite the lack of a signed contract, a rarity in the age of the rookie wage scale. As such, any public suggestion that he would be willing to sit out of training camp while risking harm to his development as a pro player likely has some merit, too. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Shemar Stewart could be willing to risk missing Bengals training camp
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bengals, Shemar Stewart contract standoff gets update from NFL insider
There's no telling when the contract standoff between the Cincinnati Bengals and first-round pick Shemar Stewart will end. As such, NFL insiders will continue to offer updates and expand on the situation as best as possible ahead of training camp. Advertisement Case in point, during a recent sitdown with Rich Eisen, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero stressed that it's not all that unusual for rookies to remain unsigned at this stage of the offseason. RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route The big exception with Stewart is…he's a first-round pick. That makes it more notable. It also makes it notable that he's refusing to even sign the standard waivers most rookies signed to participate in practices, even if they hadn't technically signed their rookie deals. The Bengals would surely love to have Stewart signed for training camp next month. But based on comments from his agent and the ugly progress made so far, for now, all fans get is further expansion from insiders: RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals, Shemar Stewart contract standoff gets update from NFL insider