The Browns just made one thing crystal clear: Shedeur Sanders isn’t getting anything easily handed to him. On Cleveland’s first depth chart of the season, the rookie QB landed in the No. 4 spot, behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel. Even Deshaun Watson, stuck on the PUP list, was listed below him. And just when the room couldn’t feel more packed, Cleveland went out and signed Tyler Huntley. So now? Shedeur’s got six names in the QB room. Zero guarantees. And even Deion Sanders knows this.

For a guy once projected to go No. 1 overall, that’s a cold welcome to the league. Still, Shedeur’s not running from the grind. He’s staying after practice. Throwing longer than anyone else. Doing the work when no one’s watching. A day before the Browns’ July 29 session in Berea, he went 9-for-9 with two touchdowns. And when the horn blew, other QBs walked off. Shedeur didn’t. He stayed out ten more minutes, still throwing. “It’s a gift and a curse at the same time,” he said about the spotlight that comes with his name.

But head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t handing out praise yet. He wants proof. And that starts August 8, when Shedeur gets his first real test against the Panthers. And if Shedeur’s been quiet, Deion Sanders hasn’t. Not exactly. He’s keeping his distance, still recovering from bladder cancer surgery. But not staying silent. Coach Prime dropped a cryptic caption on Instagram: “We don’t Trust or Believe in others because we don’t Trust or Believe in ourselves! #CoachPrime.” Message received. Loud and clear.

But don’t get it wrong. This isn’t some overly involved football father pulling strings behind the scenes. Shedeur doesn’t want that. He’s made it clear. “I don’t want him coming to see me right now,” he said. “I want to get to where I want to go, then for him to see me… you can’t be proud of me right now.” That’s not rebellion. That’s reverence. He wants to earn it. The hard way. And Deion Sanders? He respects that grind. That space.

Still, when he posts things like: “The reason it’s tough for u to walk away from some things is that u didn’t give them you’re all & now you’re in conflict…” …it doesn’t sound like a general motivational quote. It’s like a father talking to a son amidst continuous struggles. And now while Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel are treating their hamstring injuries, the Browns are turning to Shedeur Sanders to start Friday night against the Panthers. It might be his first real shot under real lights.

Shedeur Sanders facing a tough test

On August 7, the question came straight at Kevin Stefanski, as revealed by insider Daniel Oyefusi on X. “Do you need to give Shedeur extra reps today, even with the ones to prepare him for the game?” And Stefanski’s response? “No.” His tone said more than the word itself—he’s not here to baby Shedeur Sanders. Instead, he made the plan clear: “I think with a lot of our younger guys, they’re going to get the majority of the reps in the football game. Today has been more about some of the older guys and the starters.” So no extra practice reps. Just live show on game day.

This isn’t random. Back on August 4, Stefanski hinted at a bigger trend across the NFL. Veteran players are running joint practices now, while the teams are tossing rookies into the fire pit during preseason games. That’s where the real evaluations happen. “You’re obviously not wearing a red jersey, so you’re free game in those situations,” Stefanski said. If you’re a young QB—like Shedeur or Dillon Gabriel—you’ve got to survive on the field. It’s not about clean throws anymore; it’s about timing and staying upright when the time comes.

So far, Shedeur has done everything right. Over the first ten days of camp, he’s been sharp. No interceptions. Six touchdowns. And a 71% completion rate—56 of 79 passes. The Dawg Pound is certainly liking what it has seen so far. But everyone knows practice stats don’t tell the full story. The real test starts with the first preseason snap. That’s where Stefanski wants to see if Shedeur can lead and hang in when things aren’t perfect. That’s when we’ll know if it’s the start of something real.