Latest news with #ex-Colorado
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Shedeur Sanders 'not talking to family' as response to NFL setback emerges
Shedeur Sanders has barely spoken to his family since being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, as he looks to make an impression in his rookie season Shedeur Sanders has admitted that his intense focus on making an immediate impact with the Cleveland Browns has meant that he's hardly glanced at his phone since joining the team. The ex-Colorado quarterback experienced a draft-day nightmare, sliding from a potential first-round pick to a fifth-round selection by the Browns, who had already picked another quarterback, Dillon Gabriel. Despite being tipped as a top prospect, Sanders watched as five quarterbacks were chosen before him: Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe, and Gabriel. Now part of a competitive Browns' QB room, Sanders is vying for a spot alongside expected starter Joe Flacco, backup Kenny Pickett, and fellow draftee Gabriel. Sanders, who has been diligently studying the playbook, opted for the number 12 shirt after his favoured number 2 was unavailable, paying homage to his mentor Tom Brady. In a recent chat with Sanders confessed that he's been so engrossed in his new role that he hasn't even had much contact with his family, let alone Brady, since arriving in Ohio. He told reporters: "I haven't talked to him [Brady] since the draft. I've mainly just been focusing on the team, everybody that's currently around me, the coaches on the team.", reports the Mirror US. "I haven't really been on my phone much or talking to many people. I really don't even talk to my family. It's one of those situations where I just have to lock in, stay focused on what's present now." Although he's currently listed as the fourth-string quarterback for OTAs this week, Sanders is taking a leaf out of Travis Hunter's book and stepping up as the offensive leader, a role he's familiar with from his college days. Hunter advised Sanders: "We definitely got to be leaders, especially me. I was the number two overall pick, so I gotta come in and be a leader. "Shedeur, he's gotta go in there and work, earn his job just like me. But he's also got to go in there and be the head of the offense, so he's gotta go in there and be a leader." Despite both being associated with the Browns, the team opted to trade their number two overall pick for a future first-round selection and chose defensive tackle Mason Graham fifth overall.
New York Post
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Shedeur Sanders reveals his Dillon Gabriel feelings after NFL draft drama
Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel may be competition on the field, but the rookie Browns quarterbacks are building quite the bond off it. When discussing Cleveland's third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders said he and Gabriel, 24, are 'truly cool' amidst the fallout of the ex-Colorado QB's stunning slide to the fifth round. 'Everything's been cool,' Sanders, 23, said in an interview with Sports Casting, published Monday. 'He's a cool person. I like how he handles situations, especially just the negative media that's coming his way. I'm just happy he's positive, he's able to handle everything. We're truly cool.' 4 Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders is opening up about his bond with teammate Dillon Gabriel. AP 4 Gabriel (5) was drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Browns while Sanders (12) fell to the fifth round. Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Browns, who added veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett this offseason with starter Deshaun Watson's availability for 2025 in question due to injury, grabbed Gabriel with pick No. 94 on the second day of the NFL draft last month. Sanders, regarded as the most polarizing prospect of this year's class, had to wait until pick No. 144 to hear his name called by the Browns. 'We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position,' Browns general manager Andrew Berry said of the decision to add Sanders two rounds after Gabriel. 'We felt like it got to a point where his price relative to the draft where the acquisition cost was pretty light. It's a guy we think can outproduce his draft stock. I wouldn't say it's any more than that.' 4 Dillon Gabriel spoke to the media in May 2025. Getty Images Gabriel, who played his final collegiate season at Oregon, previously pushed back on the scrutiny surrounding Cleveland's evolving quarterback situation. 'The more questions I get asked like that — it just divides the team,' Gabriel said earlier this month, as covered by Yahoo Sports.'We're in a room full of, not just us but Kenny [Pickett], Joe [Flacco] and Deshaun [Watson]. For us, we know how important a healthy room is, but also a team that you want to be a part of.' Although a starter won't be named out of spring practices, Pickett, a 2022 first-round pick with the Steelers, is said to have the upper hand in the race. 4 The Browns' QB room includes Shedeur Sanders (12), Dillon Gabriel, Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Getty Images 'It's a tough call before we've even seen the first practice of organized team activities, but I know Kenny Pickett heads in as the frontrunner to win the starting job at the outset. He'll take the initial first-team reps in OTAs and probably the mandatory minicamp, and it seems like it's his job to try to keep for now,' Mary Kay Cabot of reported Monday. The 26-year-old Pickett was traded to the Browns by the Eagles in March after their Super Bowl-winning run. Flacco, 40, re-joined the Browns for his second stint in April. The Browns open the season on Sept. 7 against the Bengals.
New York Post
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Shedeur Sanders breaks silence on Browns' quarterback battle
Shedeur Sanders knows about the decades-long list of failed quarterbacks in Cleveland, those tasked with saving the franchise only to move on after failed efforts. 'I feel like the Browns fans they just want something to hope for and they've been wanting it so long and long,' Sanders told the team website. 'And finally, I'm here to change that, I'm here to actually get what they want.' Sanders has been saying all the right things since joining the Browns last month after falling to them in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but these latest candid remarks offer a glimpse of how he's viewing the quarterback battle that will engulf the team this summer. Advertisement 3 Sanders speaking with the Browns interview. @Browns/YouTube The ex-Colorado star will seemingly compete with veteran Joe Flacco, former first-round pick Kenny Pickett and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel to be the team's Week 1 starter. Incumbent starter Deshaun Watson may miss the 2025 season after undergoing two surgeries after rupturing his right Achilles tendon. Advertisement Sanders took second reps behind Gabriel at the team's minicamp this past week, but Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he would not place much stock in that. The controversial quarterback yet again told the Browns' website he plans to change the franchise, echoing comments he made before the draft after doing so with both Jackson State and Colorado. 3 Sanders during the team's rookie minicamp. AP Sanders, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, already told reporters he views his career playing out like that of Tom Brady in the sense of emerging as a late-round pick. Advertisement 'I'm here to work and win,' Sanders said. 'I think everything off the field, that's going to handle itself. On the field, of course, that's where I want my personality and that's what I want to be known for, is the one that came here and changed the franchise.' The season is still months away, though, and Sanders said he's now focusing on immersing himself with the franchise and establishing a positive rapport. He said several times he plans to be a great teammate. Advertisement 3 Sanders will be in a QB battle this fall. AP 'I've been built for this moment, year by year … it don't feel new to me, at this point,' he said. 'I understand I got to go in here, I got to learn, establish myself, be a great teammate, I got to get all the elephants out of the room with anybody, with anything, any type of problem, what they heard or anything. 'It's normal to me. I'm in my environment here, I got my resources here … I don't think anything's too much of a problem.'
New York Post
06-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Shedeur Sanders fan suing NFL for $100 million over ‘emotional distress' of QB's draft fall
One fan claims they have 100 million reasons to be upset over Shedeur Sanders' stunning free fall in last month's NFL draft. A Sanders supporter identified as John Doe is suing the league for $100 million due to the 'emotional distress and trauma suffered as a result of the NFL's collusive practices and the harmful statements made regarding' the ex-Colorado quarterback, who shockingly slid to the Browns at No. 144 in the fifth round, according to court documents viewed by The Post. In the court filing submitted last week, the plaintiff — described as a 'dedicated fan of Colorado football and has closely followed Shedeur Sanders throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons' — alleges 'reports and leaked statements suggested that Sanders 'tanked interviews,' 'wasn't prepared,' and 'was too cocky,' which contributed to a narrative that has unjustly harmed his reputation and potential as a player.' Advertisement 4 Shedeur Sanders was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Browns. 4 One Colorado football fan is suing the NFL over the 'stress' they endured over the QB's shocking draft slide. AP Doe claims 'these slanderous statements reflect biases that influenced the NFL's decision-making process,' which in turn have caused 'emotional distress and trauma to the Plaintiff as a fan and consumer.' Advertisement The plaintiff believes the NFL is in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, alleging 'collusion among NFL teams to influence the drafting process and the subsequent low selection of Shedeur Sanders constitutes a conspiracy to restrain trade and limit competition within the league.' Additionally, the lawsuit states the league violated the Civil Rights Act by claiming 'the decisions made regarding Sanders may have been influenced by racial discrimination, violating his rights as a player.' 4 Shedeur Sanders was considered the most polarizing prospect of this year's draft class. AP Beyond the nine-figure sum in 'punitive damages,' Doe seeks 'a formal acknowledgment from the NFL regarding the emotional distress caused by their actions and statements,' 'a retraction of the slanderous statements made about Shedeur Sanders, along with an apology for any harm caused to his reputation,' as well as an 'implementation of fairer practices in the drafting process to ensure that talented players are recognized and given opportunities based on merit.' Advertisement A league spokesperson did not respond to The Independent's request for comment. Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, was considered the most polarizing prospect of the 2025 class. 4 Shedeur Sanders is the son of NFL great Deion Sanders. AP The former Buffaloes star was said to have rubbed some teams the wrong way at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, with an NBC Sports report alleging he 'came off as unprofessional and disinterested.' Advertisement As the draft approached, analysts and experts struggled to pinpoint where Sanders would land with the quarterback-needy Giants, Saints and Steelers identified as possible destinations. All those clubs passed on Sanders and instead drafted quarterbacks Jaxson Dart (Giants, No. 25), Tyler Shough (Saints, No. 40) and Will Howard (Steelers, No. 185). Sanders, who was drafted by the Browns after they selected former Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel at No. 94, told reporters in late April he's 'ready to work.' 'The opportunity to see the real me and not stuff that might not be true,' Sanders said. He and Gabriel join a crowded Browns QB room that includes veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
New York Post
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Shedeur Sanders' camp already involved in media rift in Cleveland
There's already some drama brewing for Shedeur Sanders and his camp in his new home of Cleveland. A member of Sanders' support staff who posted videos of the quarterback's recent trip to a Cleveland high school lashed out at an ESPN Cleveland radio host who questioned Sanders' intentions, labeling the host's opinion as 'spewed hate.' 'Shedeur did NOT post anything! I posted it,' a Sanders supporter, Hellion 'Boog' Knight posted Thursday on X in a quote tweet featuring the initial criticism. 'He didn't ask me, or anyone else to post anything. Nor did he ask for a hundred cameras to be on him upon his entrance into the school. This isn't his first school visit. He's done MANY, in various cities & is just spewed hate.' Advertisement Sanders' drop to the Browns in the fifth round at pick No. 144 served as the NFL draft's biggest storylines, with many wondering why a talented quarterback fell that far. Concerns about his off-the-field traits and his talent level have been discussed, but some pundits wondered about all the attention Sanders and his camp would bring to a team. Advertisement Sanders posts tons of content on social media dating back to his time at Jackson State, which his father, Deion, fully supported and even leaned into at different parts as his head coach also at Colorado. Sanders has a full video team as part of his massive support system. This drama came to light after Sanders did a good deed by visiting John Marshall High School in Cleveland, with the quarterback honoring his pledge to get involved with youths in his new home. Knight posted clips from the day on X, while commenting: 'We appreciate the love & passion from the Cleveland Brown fan base!!' Advertisement 3 Sanders during his visit to the Cleveland area high school. @Hboog32/X ESPN Cleveland's Aaron Goldhammer had an issue with the visit, though, 'I would have preferred that if he was gonna go talk to a bunch of high school kids, he didn't post it on social media five seconds after the thing was over,' Goldhammer said. Advertisement Co-host Tony Rizzo shot down the take, saying the Browns provide similar content during the season. 'I felt like it was him screaming, 'See, look how good a person I am. I went to a school, then I worked out. I'm doing all the right things,'' Goldhammer said. 3 Goldhammer (r) made the comments that Knight responded to. @ESPNCleveland/X Another member of the show, Chris Oldach, then said Goldhammer needs to bash any rookie who visits an ill child in the hospital. 'He's not any rookie,' Goldhammer said. 'And the Browns are the ones posting that stuff, not the individual players.' 3 Knight in a photo he posted to Instagram in January. @ym_boog32/Instagram Knight is cited by many outlets as the head of operations for Lil Wayne's Young Money APPA Sports, which represents fellow ex-Colorado star Travis Hunter, and his X timeline has been filled with retweets supporting Sanders, along with his take on the situation and why he defended him. He tagged Goldhammer while posting videos from other places where Sanders has paid it forward, including in Colorado and during the Shrine Bowl in Texas. Advertisement He further explained his logic in responding in a quote tweet of a post recapping the situation. 'Exactly. I just like to set the record straight. 'The media' at times, wants to bury your name in lies, and not be held accountable for doing so,' Knight wrote. 'And want you to be ok with it. I say, place the accountability in the right place. Don't attack the kid, come at me. I'm ok with it.'
