The Cleveland Browns finished last season 5–12 and closed the year with rookie Shedeur Sanders starting at quarterback.
Sanders has not been guaranteed the starting job heading into this season under new head coach Todd Monken, but he has been one of the most consistent players showing up throughout the offseason. He also appears highly motivated to help change the culture surrounding Browns football — whether he’s the starter or not.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Sanders addressed the culture shift he wants to see and made it clear he believes that change extends beyond just the players and coaches.
“Coach Monken’s great and all the other coaches on the staff… it’s a new vibe, it’s new energy — the only thing missing is y’all,” Sanders said. “We need y’all to have a new vibe and a new energy. I know y’all want us to win, so we need some winning energy here. We can’t have too much negativity going on.
“You want our players to be the best version of ourselves for y’all, so I think it’s a community thing. I think we all, as a group, have to approach this with a better attitude — coming from y’all also.”
Sanders is currently competing for the starting job with veteran Deshaun Watson, who is returning from injury, as well as Dillon Gabriel, who, like Sanders, was drafted last season.
In seven starts, Sanders went 3–4, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Many fans have rallied around Shedeur Sanders as the potential starting quarterback, and he’s certainly making an impression off the field with his approach in the media. However, the decision still appears to be a ways off for Monken, as reps continue to be rotated among all three quarterbacks. Monken noted that each of them has been “in command” of the offense.
“It was set up in a way for us to get a look at all of them,” Monken said. “The plan was that Shedeur would have a few more reps, but let Shedeur and Deshaun Watson each get reps with the ones.”