It won't be easy, but rookie Shedeur Sanders has the support of many big names as he competes for the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback job.
During a recent episode of "The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty," former New York Jets head coach Herm Edwards became the latest notable figure to endorse Sanders for the Browns' starting job. Edwards, who was most recently the head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils, said the former Colorado Buffaloes star can win the four-man competition as a rookie.
"I think he's going to win the job," Edwards said when asked to share his thoughts on Sanders.
After his endorsement, Edwards explained that Sanders' father, Colorado coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, may have played a factor in his son falling in the NFL Draft. Shedeur was initially a projected first-round pick but shockingly fell to the fifth round.
"I've known him (Shedeur) since he was a little kid, I know Deion (Sanders)," Edwards said. "I think the Deion factor, that bravado, that's why teams kind of went, 'We don't want this.' Let's call it like it is, they didn't want that. But I didn't think he would drop that far... When you decide to draft him, you knew what you were gonna get, and they didn't want all that attention, the organizations. They said we don't want this. Now, people will say it doesn't matter. Well, it does matter. It matters this way because that bonus you get when you're a first-round pick compared to a fifth-round pick, you never make up that money."
Shedeur is currently competing with third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco for the Browns' starting job. Many expect either Pickett or Flacco to start in Week 1 due to their NFL experience, but Edwards argued that the Browns should favor their two rookies if neither of the veterans stands out.
"If I was there and it's even, then I'm playing the rookie," Edwards said. "I used to tell the veterans this: 'If it's even with you and a rookie, I'm gonna play the rookie. It can't be even because all you have is experience.' That's all you got. The only way you're gonna get experience is playing. So if you let it be even, don't let it be even because I'm gonna play the young guy. He's going to get better. You can't get no better because you've flat-lined now."
If coach Kevin Stefanski and the Browns are truly committed to either Gabriel or Sanders being their long-term solution at quarterback, there's certainly value in giving them immediate NFL experience. Sanders played in 50 games as a college quarterback, including 24 at Colorado, yet he'll have to see playing time on Sundays to grow in the NFL.
