Shedeur Sanders has been a polarizing QB, not now, even before the draft. Back in January, his father, Coach Prime Deion Sanders, claimed that he wouldn’t want his son to play for a couple of teams. Everyone believed that the Browns were one of them. But their GM, Andrew Berry, had then said that he saw talent in Sanders. It was supposed to be a unified front. Instead, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam just threw his general manager under the bus.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday night, July 29, Haslam distanced himself from the team’s strange decision to draft Shedeur Sanders with the 5th round pick. “We have good process,” Haslam said, before making it abundantly clear whose fingerprints were on the trigger.

“We had a conversation early that morning and then we had a conversation later that day. I think we had the right people involved in the conversation. At the end of the day, that’s Andrew Berry’s call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur.” For weeks, whispers around the league suggested Haslam was the one pushing for the flashy, high-profile quarterback from Colorado. That narrative got flipped on its head with Haslam’s remarks, shifting the spotlight onto GM Andrew Berry, who now appears isolated if Shedeur doesn’t pan out.

Some days back, Berry also had to address the less polished part of the profile. On Thursday, he confirmed Sanders had received two speeding citations in June, one for driving 91 mph in a 65 zone, another for hitting 101 in a 60. “Not smart,” Berry said flatly.

More than that, he emphasized, it’s not just about the player. It’s about everyone sharing the road. The GM didn’t sugarcoat it. He pointed to prior NFL tragedies tied to reckless driving and underscored that the team took it seriously. They’ve already spoken to Sanders about the incidents, and according to Berry, the quarterback “understands the seriousness.”

But that wasn’t the only landmine Haslam dropped.

Jimmy Haslam warns the Browns about Deshaun Watson

The Deshaun Watson era in Cleveland appears all but over. And this time, it’s the owner closing the door. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, once the face behind one of the most controversial trades in NFL history, offered a cold, calculated update when asked Tuesday night if he envisions Watson playing for the Browns again.

“I think it’s premature,” Haslam said bluntly. “I don’t think anything’s changed on this situation since we were together in March.” That situation, of course, refers to Watson’s indefinite status following months of internal tension, declining performance, and a $230 million fully guaranteed contract that now hangs over the franchise like an anchor.

The most telling part? Haslam’s comment came just moments after he reiterated that he considered the Watson deal a “big-swing-and-miss.” It comes amid the doubt about his 2025 availability. While the QB has claimed that he would be fit in time, many analysts don’t believe it. They think that he would miss the majority or entire season altogether. That would be a big blow if it happens.

What’s left is a front office fractured by optics, a locker room likely unsettled by leadership drama, and a fanbase wondering what direction this franchise is even headed in. For a team desperate to turn the page, Jimmy Haslam may have just written two new chapters, one titled Blame Game, the other No Way Back.