Cam Newton knows better than anyone else what it’s like to live in the spotlight as an NFL quarterback. The former MVP recently weighed in on Shedeur Sanders, who faced a lot of scrutiny for in the Cleveland Browns. While many teams worried about Sanders’ skill set and measurables, it was Newton who backed the Colorado star. But now Newton appears to be taking a U-turn.

While Newton earlier believed that Shedeur Sanders doesn’t want to be successful in Cleveland, Shedeur’s recent actions have made him think otherwise. Actually, after the Browns announced Dillon Gabriel as Sunday’s starter against the Vikings, Shedeur Sander pulled a bizarre move in the locker room, miming his answers about the QB choice, which drew a lot of criticism. This compelled Newton to change his stance. “When you have a media frenzy and a media circus covering a third-string quarterback, that’s what teams did not want,” Newton weighed in.

Apart from Newton, other football legends also expressed their frustration.“I believe that Shedeur’s response was immature,” former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho said on the Speakeasy show. Sanders’ stunt” has made everyone believe that Gabriel is probably the best fit to lead the struggling Browns offense. He has already received a vote of confidence from some of the highly valued Browns players.

“I mean, he just runs the offense like this is his offense,” defensive end Myles Garrett said during his media availability. “And that’s all you can ask for from any quarterback. He comes out, smile on his face, chest out, gives the call, and it looks like he’s been doing it for years — the way he manages the offense. So, I’m looking forward to him doing the same thing on Sunday.”

But was there any logic behind the mime act of Shedeur? According to senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, Shedeur’s decision to mime instead of speaking was a response to ESPN analyst Rex Ryan’s criticism of Shedeur. Ryan had said that Shedeur just talks and sulks instead of using this as an opportunity to learn and study. Shedeur’s reaction was likely an indirect jab at Rex more than anything else. 

Meanwhile, Kevin Stefanski opened up about his plans for Shedeur.

Shedeur Sanders seen in a new role

After the practice session, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about what are his plans for Shedeur Sanders to advance him through the quarterback depth chart. “All of our players, and that includes Shedeur in this, are working extremely hard,” he said. “We just finished our period after practice, that we do every single day. Just finished a red zone 7-on-7 period where Shedeur and the rest of the younger guys are working on 10 reps.”

That daily grind Stefanski suggested is exactly what the Browns want to see now. Even if Sanders isn’t the next choice for the immediate backup, with Joe Flacco taking up that position, Cleveland’s value in his long-term development to rise. “He needs to continue to do exactly what he’s been doing and continue to do what all these guys are doing, which is just keep working.”

Stefanski’s message is simple: every rep matters. “The big thing for us, it goes back to that intentionality of what we do.” Well, it’s not Stefanski who has been pouring into the young QBs either. Quarterback coach Bill Musgrave and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees are also making sure that nothing is left to chance. “Understanding that we’re bringing our guys along. And it may, on one day, mean meetings, may, on one day, mean a physical individual drill. If you will, at practice, while this side’s doing this, these guys are doing that. So, just like, big picture being very intentional about every minute that you have.”

While Sanders enters week 5 in third in the QB depth chart, there is one thing that isn’t changing-the media spotlight. He should be more conscious of what he speaks, especially when it can hamper the franchise’s integrity and question the front office’s choices. For now, he has just one job: keep working hard and stay put.