The whole world was in awe of Shedeur Sanders‘ performance against the Panthers. The man really had NFL vets and sports icons from around the world tweeting about him and shutting down his haters. The one person who didn’t love the performance? It was Sanders himself. “I don’t feel like I took full advantage of that opportunity; it’s something to work on, something to learn. I don’t feel like I was sharp, honestly, I was okay,” he said after the game.

But there’s one more person who isn’t completely satisfied with his display. Someone who thinks that he could’ve been better, and he made it clear in a mid-game interview. That voice? None other than Browns‘ defensive leader Myles Garrett.

The Browns’ defensive captain gave Sanders his flowers, but kept it real. “I think it was a great first half. It wasn’t perfect, the team settled in, getting comfortable in the pocket, but more than my evaluation, it’s Kevin’s matter more than anything,” he said. Well, yeah. As good as he was, he wasn’t perfect.

Shedeur Sanders’ preseason debut was pure social-media fuel: 14-of-23 through the air for 138 yards, two TD strikes before halftime, and a 106.8 passer rating. He even sprinkled in 19 rushing yards on 4 carries. Solid numbers for a rookie, and a ‘QB4.’ But that’s just half the story.

But the other half (the one Garrett is circling), lives in the messy stuff you don’t see in the highlight clips: a couple of misfires in communication when personnel swapped out, pockets where the timing just wasn’t there, and two sacks that cost the Browns 6 yards. That’s the “wasn’t perfect” Garrett was talking about.

And if you missed the game, the tape would show you the same thing. Hurried throws when the heat got there, timing routes that begged for just a tick quicker release, and stretches where Shedeur Sanders was hunting for rhythm instead of dictating it. Don’t get it twisted, all of it is very much fixable. But this is exactly the kind of stuff coaches and guys like Myles Garrett mean when they say “not perfect.”

And Sanders didn’t shy away from admitting the imperfections either. “Did I play up to par? No, I don’t feel like I did,” he admitted, calling out the spots where he wasn’t sharp while also highlighting the moments later in the half where he started to click.

Make no mistake, Garrett is not a hater, far from it. He’s been spotted coaching Sanders between reps and has openly shared some solid, encouraging words about how hard the rookie’s been working. He knows the potential Sanders possesses and wants him to reach that ceiling. And after that $160 million extension? Expect him to be more open with his words.

Myles Garrett’s big-money extension doesn’t change anything

The Browns locking Garrett down with that big four-year, $40 million-a-year deal (and all those guarantees) wasn’t just about football. It was a message to the whole locker room: Cleveland’s all in on winning, and they want their vets to take the lead. But Garrett isn’t fazed.

Garrett’s been super clear that the big payday hasn’t shifted his focus one bit. “No, I don’t think the contract has motivated me in any different way.” I’m just trying to be as effective as I can be as a player and as a person,” he said in the same interview.

And that’s been his stance since the very beginning. When Garrett talked to the media after signing, he didn’t stop hammering home the same message: “This was never about the money.” For him, leadership is about what you do, not the paycheck. He said, “Not in my mind. I’ll keep being the same person I’ve always been.”

He made it clear that just because he got a big extension doesn’t mean the team will accept sloppy play from the young guys or let standards slide. If anything, that big contract just raises the stakes. He knows that he is paid to make the team better, and rookies have to prove quickly that they can help the team win. And if he thinks something isn’t up to the standard? He will call it out.

Shedeur kept it real after the game, too. He was thankful for the win but honest about where he needs to improve. He knows where he is lacking. He’s got to cut down on sacks, make quicker decisions in the pocket, and convert more third downs when he gets time with the starters. Those are the real tests the Browns will be watching in the next couple of preseason games and practices. The exact same ones Garrett was talking about when he told the team to “raise the standard.”