Colorado Buffaloes football legend Shedeur Sanders said to be actively harmed by media coverage of Browns career

Xaiver Aguiar

Colorado Buffaloes football legend Shedeur Sanders said to be actively harmed by media coverage of Browns career image

Colorado Buffaloes football legend Shedeur Sanders is the most analyzed fourth-string quarterback in football history.

The 23-year-old is currently "competing" with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel for the coveted Cleveland Browns QB1 slot, which is an advantageous position for someone who recently tumbled to the fifth round of the NFL Draft.

The Browns have a few practices open to the media, and there has been overwhelming praise for Shedeur's performance. Sure, none of the players have pads, but the Colorado product has been able to flash his stellar accuracy throughout team drills.

One Cleveland analyst suggests that the heaping acclaim towards Shedeur is unjust and could be detrimental to his future.

While appearing on "850: ESPN Cleveland's" radio station, Browns and NFL analyst Tonni Grossi blasted the current coverage around Shedeur.

"The media are doing Shedeur a disservice by inflating where he's at right now," Grossi said. "He's a developmental quarterback, just like Dillon Gabriel—he's not a franchise quarterback. I think the Browns recognize that, and they are taking their time and teaching him the way of the offense. Overinflating expectations is just not good."

Sanders is the only signal-caller on the roster who is not consistently working with the starters, which should show how the coaching staff currently thinks of him.

The quarterback room is weak; the franchise drafted Gabriel over Sanders for a reason, and Flacco is an experienced veteran who is only two years removed from leading Cleveland to the playoffs.

Sanders' situation can rapidly change, but right now, he's nowhere close to starting the season under center.

Xaiver Aguiar

Xaiver Aguiar is a freelance college sports writer for The Sporting News. A 2024 graduate from the University of Oregon, the Massachusetts native was commenting on his sports video games by the time he could tie his shoes and fantasized about turning his favorite hobby into his future career. Xaiver might not have grown tall enough to be an elite stretch-five who could rock the rim, but this content-creating thing is a decent second option.