Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has only one NFL start, but he’s already turning heads. He threw for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the Raiders before firing back at his critics. While some wanted him to tone it down, others loved his passion for the game. Now his mom, Pilar Sanders, has jumped into the conversation.

In her Instagram story, Pilar just reacted with floating heart emojis to a post that boldly compared Shedeur Sanders to former President Barack Obama. The graphic attached to the post showed a photoshopped image of Shedeur at a presidential podium with Obama standing behind him.

The graphic also described Shedeur as “The most powerful Black man since Barack Obama.”

Shedeur’s proud mom shared the graphic in her story and commented “son” below the original post. 

The bold caption with the post further read, “Kendrick Perkins says Shedeur Sanders is the MOST POWERFUL black man since Barack Obama 😳.”

As an analyst on ESPN, Perkins has been known for his fiery opinions. It was in a recent podcast appearance that he sparked the comparison between Shedeur Sanders and the former POTUS.

“Shedeur Sanders is the most powerful Black man since 2009,” said Perkins on the LGND TLK podcast. “You know what happened in 2009? That’s when President Obama got elected into office. He’s [Shedeur] the most powerful Black man since 2009. And when I say powerful, there are two sides to it. He’s bringing the whole Black community together. I ain’t ran across one Black person that has said one bad thing about Shedeur.”

So, according to Perkins, Shedeur now carries that same kind of cultural pull as Obama. Why? Because the rookie has brought the Black community together in a way Perkins has not seen in years. The ESPN analyst even claimed he hasn’t met a single Black person who had something negative to say about Shedeur. 

That’s a strong statement. But is it surprising, considering how quickly Shedeur Sanders gained fame in Cleveland. Perkins did not stop there. He also suggested that Shedeur has the perfect mix of confidence and humility. 

“He [Shedeur] has the balance of, ‘I’m arrogant, but I’m humble too,’” said Perkins. “And he’s having fun with this s–t. He’s the most powerful Black man in sports. You know, what, f–k Black man; he’s the most powerful player in sports. Because even when he’s not playing, he’s still getting talked about.”

That’s a huge compliment for a rookie quarterback, and it explains why Pilar reacted so proudly. She recently jumped into the comment section of a Browns post and praised her son’s hard work in his recent performance. Shedeur’s quick rise to QB1 has given reason enough for his family to be proud. 

Shedeur Sanders’ rise to QB1 didn’t come easy

The Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round this year, and he had to fight for his place in Cleveland behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. But when Gabriel suffered a concussion, Shedeur finally got his chance. 

The former Colorado standout did not have a great outing in his NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens, but the rookie responded with a solid performance in Week 12 when he got his first NFL start. Against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12, Shedeur made history. He became the first Browns quarterback since 1995 to win a game in his first NFL start.

Shedeur Sanders also completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards and launched a 52-yard throw to receiver Isaiah Bond. That impressive throw alone turned the heads of players like Myles Garrett. Now, when you compare that to Gabriel’s average of 107.5 passing yards across five starts, Shedeur’s confident post-game message begins to feel well-earned.

After the win, Shedeur said many people want to see him fail but insisted, “it ain’t going to happen.” 

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Was Shedeur wrong to say that? The Browns don’t seem to think so. Gabriel has now cleared concussion protocol, yet the Browns have confirmed that Shedeur will start in their next game against the San Francisco 49ers. If he keeps at it, could Shedeur claim the QB1 job for the rest of the season? Browns fans will find out soon enough.