In June, Shedeur Sanders stood along the sideline following a padded drill, flashing the serene posture of a guy who’s seen it all before. Kevin Stefanski was asked about the rookie’s development and gave a lukewarm endorsement. “He’s working,” Stefanski replied. “We want all our guys to keep stacking good days.” Sanders, who used to appear on Heisman watchlists and was touted as a first-round selection only a few months ago, nodded and headed away. There wasn’t any visible tension between him and the Browns‘ head coach, but for those paying close attention, the absence of that quality spoke louder than words could.

On 92.3 The Fan’s Afternoon Drive, hosts Nick Wilson and Jonathan Peterlin broke open what many Browns fans had suspected. Sanders isn’t being given the same runway as fellow rookie QB Dillon Gabriel. “They’ve allowed Dillon to take more reps, get more opportunities,” Wilson said. “They are still very much hand-holding with Shedeur. His test isn’t the same test.” Peterlin went on to comment that Sanders appears to be rolling with the slow-roll, adding, “I just think he approaches it like, ‘If I do my part, it’ll take care of itself.'”

Stefanski’s tone and the way reps are being allocated in camp paint a picture that is contrary to Sanders’ résumé. Even after arriving in training camp as a poised, system-savvy quarterback who flourished under NFL-caliber coaching at Colorado, Sanders has been handled as a project in development. Meanwhile, Gabriel, the two-round senior quarterback, has already seen the field more in high-leverage situations in 11-on-11 drills. Sources within the team indicated that although the reps at QB are rotated, the playbook installation and film study have had a clear preference for bringing Gabriel along more quickly.

This’s not merely about reps. It’s about storytelling and context. Shedeur Sanders was being considered for the top ten of April’s NFL Draft, with some mock drafts seeing him as high as No. 2 overall. Rather, he fell to the fifth round, where the Browns took him at 144th, after picking Gabriel in the third. That choice was with instant conjecture. Was it a steal? Or was it owner-motivated? Sanders’ fall was one of the biggest surprises on Day 3, and his draft came as Jimmy Haslam himself sat openly in the war room.

Haslam distances himself from Shedeur Pick

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam spoke to the situation at the team’s annual training camp media session, stating he didn’t advocate for Sanders to be picked. “If you’d have told me Friday night we were taking Shedeur, I’d have said, ‘That’s not happening,'” Haslam conceded. “But we had a conversation that morning. At the end of the day, that’s Andrew Berry’s call.” His attempt to divert meddlesome rumors simply added more fuel to the fire. The appearance of Haslam sitting in the war room when they made the announcement still hangs over the quarterback group.

The Browns’ quarterback battle ranks among the league’s most competitive. Gabriel, Sanders, an eager Kenny Pickett, and repeat free agent Joe Flacco all competing for snaps in itself may account for some of the uneven rep allocation. But the subjective perception of being favored or, alternatively, underused can harm development. Sanders, who sits fourth on the depth chart, has apparently remained in tune, Haslam commenting, “He’s come in the building, worked hard, kept his head down and done what he’s supposed to do.”

But the disparity between outside expectations and inside reality is difficult to avoid. Cleveland’s 3–14 year and quarterback unrest have created another “open competition” offseason. With Deshaun Watson‘s contract still holding the franchise back and no long-term assurance at quarterback, every repetition counts, particularly for a guy like Sanders, who arrived with prestige and expectation. Fans expected him at least to be running neck and neck, not receiving the “redshirt” treatment in his initial weeks of training camp.

The on-field drama is supplemented by greater off-field complexity as the Browns face more outside scrutiny. The arrest of first-round rookie running back Quinshon Judkins contributed to an alarming trend. Haslam didn’t pass the buck there, stating, “It’s extremely frustrating. Obviously, we’re not communicating as well as we should, and we take responsibility for that.” Clouded over an already chaotic rookie class is the fact that Judkins still hasn’t signed. And presumably remains away from the team.

For Shedeur Sanders, though, the storm around him isn’t of his own making. His fall in the draft, his quiet demeanor, and his apparent willingness to earn his stripes, without headlines, have made him a curiosity in this Browns camp. But if Nick Wilson is right, and the Browns are hand-holding instead of evaluating. Then Stefanski’s conservative approach may be costing the team a real shot at developing their most intriguing young quarterback.

Because sooner or later, “doing your part” will not be enough. The cream rises only if it ever gets off the bottom.