Ever seen someone bend reality like it’s part of their playbook? Back in ’89, Deion Sanders did just that by hitting a home run in MLB and returning a punt for a touchdown in the same week in the league. That was Prime Time in motion. Today, he’s still commanding arenas—only now it’s locker rooms and living rooms. As he recovers from bladder cancer surgery, he’s dropping wisdom like game film, all while a Netflix series gears up to show the world just how honest and real Coach Prime still is. And even while sidelined, he’s still coaching, just in a different way.

His latest message, posted from a place of recovery, wasn’t just about him. It was a call to anyone carrying regret. “The reason it’s tough for you to walk away from some things is that u didn’t give them you’re all… Make peace with whatever it is & move on because today needs all of u.” That last line—“today needs all of you”—lingers like a coach’s final words before kickoff. And for Shedeur Sanders, it clearly struck home.

In fact, you can almost hear those words echo in Shedeur’s response. “I don’t want him coming to see me right now… I got to get to where I’m going,” he said, fully focused on the grind ahead. The emotional overlap is striking, Deion urging people to give their all, and Shedeur holding off on even a visit until he feels he’s earned it from his father. One is recovering. The other is rising. Both are wired the same: don’t settle, don’t slow down, and don’t stop until the mission’s complete.

And here’s the twist: not long ago, Shedeur was seen as a top-tier quarterback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. Then, the unexpected happened, he slipped to the 5th round. The Browns picked him at  No. 144 despite last season’s stats. In Colorado, he threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. That’s not just efficient; it’s impressive. But in the NFL, storylines flip faster, and Shedeur knows he’s got to rewrite his own, without shortcuts, and definitely without sentiment.

The Browns didn’t just bring in competition; they brought in a full quarterback room. Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur are all in the room, battling for reps. It was crowded and messy. And fans were already asking from day one: if Cleveland believed in Shedeur, why does this feel like a choose-your-own-quarterback adventure? Somewhere between Flacco’s experience and Pickett’s rebound attempt, the Browns may have already circled their guy before the training camp. And now, the first official depth chart makes that picture a whole lot clearer.

Shedeur Sanders lands last on QB chart

The Browns’ first QB depth chart of the season is out, and it spells out what many already assumed. Flacco holds the top spot, followed by Pickett, Gabriel, and then Shedeur Sanders at No. 4. NFL writer Dov Kleiman posted the order with a pointed closer: “The only direction for Shedeur to go is up.” It’s not a surprising order, but it sends a clear message. The rookie QB isn’t in the mix just yet, but now the climb begins, and everyone’s watching to see how fast he rises.

The truth is, the hints were already there before anything was official. On Locked on Browns, Spencer German caught the early separation, calling it “some early clarity” into how the coaching staff viewed the pecking order. Head coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t say a word, but the reps told the story. Flacco and Pickett were trading top-unit duties. Gabriel was in the background. And Shedeur? He wasn’t in the first-unit conversation at all. As German put it, this chart was basically “a 1A and 1B” situation with Flacco and Pickett. 

And just when it seemed the room couldn’t get more crowded, Cleveland added another quarterback, Tyler Huntley. The surprise signing late Monday made him the sixth QB on the roster, even with Deshaun Watson still on the physically unable to perform list. Huntley isn’t a stranger to the Browns either; he had a solid preseason practice stint with them last year. He later headed to Miami, where he started five games. So now the question hangs heavy: is Huntley here to push someone out or to win the job outright? Either way, for Shedeur Sanders, the climb up the depth chart just got even steeper.