Shedeur Sanders has unceremoniously become a lightning rod for criticism and hot takes. Now that the Cleveland Browns quarterback is once again facing uncertainty about his future, the community seems to have doubled down on him. But former Browns quarterback and franchise legend Bernie Kosar, having waded these murky waters himself, cut the young QB some slack.

“I really enjoyed how Sanders played at the end of last season. Us quarterbacks, we get a lot of credit — too much credit when we win and too much blame when we lose,” Kosar said.

“But I really believe we are victims or beneficiaries of the guys around us. We were very void of talent with the Browns on offense last year. So for Shedeur to come in as a rookie with a really limited, talented roster around him offensively, he certainly made plays.

Kosar’s observations do carry a lot of merit. Last season, the Browns made history by becoming the first team since 1970 to have rookies lead the team in passing yards, rushing yards, and receiving yards at the tight end position. In total, 83.7% of the Browns’ offense was tallied by rookies. Sanders might not have been the best among them, but he was the Browns’ best hope during the season. Because the manpower around him wasn’t up to the mark either.

Veteran wide receiver Jerry Jeudy led the league second in dropped passes last year, with 10 of them. The entire WR room tallied for a league-worst 83.9 receiving yards per game. Tight end Harold Fannin brought some hope to the pass-catching, leading the team in almost all receiving stats. But the offensive line was another nightmare altogether. Sanders could only do so much to protect himself.

Injuries among veterans and backups alike never allowed the O-line to pose as a threat to defenses. The Browns allowed an alarming 51 sacks last year, and Sanders accounted for 23 of them. The offensive line had to be overhauled in the offseason. It would be foolish for anyone to think that Shedeur Sanders was the only problem for Cleveland when they were flailing pretty much everywhere.

As a rookie, Sanders made his fair share of errors. He was still a raw talent, and defenses got to him easily. He tended to hold on to the ball a little longer, which also affected his decision-making. But he was also the quarterback who held down the fort for the Browns, starting in all of the games he played since he became QB1. He also threw for 1,400 yards and had an impressive stat line from the Tennessee Titans game last year. Sanders isn’t there yet, but he still can’t be removed from contention just yet.

Bernie Kosar bats for Shedeur Sanders to be QB1

Kosar has made it clear that he is in Sanders’ corner. Given how people seem to have made him their number one target for all of their frustrations around the team, this kind of support is welcome. Since the icon himself began on a note similar to that of Sanders, Kosar is confident the Year 2 QB’s time is coming.

“He deserves to be in this mix,” he added. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see Shedeur get this opportunity early if he doesn’t come out as the Game 1 starter.

With Deshaun Watson attempting a prodigal-son comeback this season, Shedeur Sanders seems to have become an expendable option yet again. The veteran has been healthy, and the team is very optimistic about seeing him play. Watson won’t have the green light to be the starter right away since he was away for so long. But it’s not usual for a younger QB to outshine a veteran. And the Browns would also want to see some returns on the $230 million they spent on him.

Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot recently reported that Watson seems to be separating himself as the winner. She noted that during April’s voluntary workouts, Watson took the bulk of the first team reps. He had also noticeably pulled ahead of Sanders with his play. This was also echoed by NFL insider Jason La Canfora, who claims that the Browns leadership has “kicked into overdrive” to prepare the fan base for Watson returning as the team’s full-time starter.

Sanders, meanwhile, has also indirectly waded into the ongoing quarterback battle and controversy. He recently responded on Instagram to a Bleacher Report post, which claimed that he threw shade on his fellow teammates during this competition.

“You’ll be able to see lies clearly,” Sanders wrote. “I only give my perspective publicly to help others that may struggle with things that society thrives off.”

It remains to be seen if Sanders can fulfill the high expectations that Kosar has of him going into this year. But one thing is certain: the Browns’ quarterback drama is only going to get hotter over the upcoming summer months.