Browns Superstar Is Already ‘Frustrated’ With Kevin Stefanski Amid Concerning Shedeur Sanders News

HC Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns are entering the 2025 season with a defense that might be as good as anyone in the league on paper. But internally, everything isn’t as secure as it seems. With training camp just around the corner, a ripple of discontent has been on the verge of building into a wave, and it’s emerging in the very center of the Browns’ secondary. Though the team refuses to discuss internal strife, tensions are starting to rise, particularly from one key defensive player.

Greg Newsome II, a former first-round pick and one of the Browns’ most talented cornerbacks, is not hiding his dissatisfaction with how he’s being used or not used in Kevin Stefanski’s system. Despite his consistent performance and elite coverage skills, Newsome found himself relegated to nickel corner duties last season. Rarely was one of the two primary outside corners when the Browns fielded their base defense. That choice, which went to Denzel Ward and upstart Martin Emerson Jr. has had Newsome visibly frustrated. 

“When I talked to Greg Newsome at the Super Bowl on Radio Row back in January or early February, he talked about the fact that he wants to be used more. He was primarily the nickel back last year. He wants to be on the field more often.” Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot recently said on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast. “More tellingly, Newsome ‘actually point blank said, you know, I need to know some things before I want to sign a long-term contract here.” That statement in itself says it all. Heading into a contract year, Newsome isn’t merely battling for playing time, he’s battling for transparency and respect.

Kevin Stefanski restricting Newsome’s role last season wasn’t an isolated incident; it’s beginning to look like a trend. As podcast host Dan Labbe puts it, “Last year was the first year … he’s been their slot guy for a few years, but last year it was really kind of the first year where, when they did have two corners on the field, he wasn’t one of them”. That change understandably rocked Newsome’s faith in the system. Leading him to think about his future with the franchise more extensively.

Despite everything, Newsome didn’t sulk, but it affected his performance. With limited snaps on the outside, he recorded a career-low 27 tackles and only five pass deflections in 2024. Although his football IQ, speed, and coverage instincts were still sharp, the decreased role obviously limited his performance. And in today’s NFL, the financial distinction between a starting outside corner and a nickel back is very evident. For a talent like Newsome, a supporting role could ultimately determine how the Browns shape his future.

The Browns’ front office is walking on a tightrope. And Stefanski has got decisions to make. Keep both? Flip roles? Favor one over the other? Any misjudgment could spoil the chemistry of what should be one of the league’s most dominant secondaries. And Newsome’s early indications of frustration mean patience will not be infinite.

As Kevin Stefanski and the Browns navigate internal strife, another subplot is in the works, one with the potential to subtly affect their offensive depth.

Shedeur Sanders’ NFL reality check raises questions

Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, came into the league with star power, swagger, and a brand to match veteran stars. But his draft value was different. Following a catastrophic plunge to the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Sanders’s profile, which was once his biggest strength, could now be his undoing.

Seasoned analyst Terry Pluto didn’t mince words when weighing in on Sanders’ off-field moves and how they affected him. “There are a couple of issues going on here”. Pluto pointed out that Sanders was involved in two separate speeding incidents. One where he drove at 101 mph and another just weeks earlier at 91. “Anybody that’s ever been driving on the interstate and seen somebody go blow past at 91 or 100 miles an hour knows that it’s almost terrifying… That’s part of it. The other part was, he didn’t show up at court,” he noted. These are not career-ending infractions. However, they are suggestive of a player too concerned about his image and not with his game.

As Pluto emphasizes, “You are a fifth-round draft choice…144 guys were picked in front of you”.  But that note still appears not to have sunk in with Sanders yet. He also stated, “Every NFL team passed on you at least four times in the draft and your main job here is playing football… I’m still not sure if Shedeur Sanders fully understands that he’s got all these guys in front of him.” As other late-round QBs work behind the scenes to crack rosters, Sanders just keeps on being flashy, cocky, and unapologetically himself. That attitude may be charming to fans, but it’s not getting him in front of front offices.

And don’t think for a second, Sanders is in a battle. Becoming a 53-man roster player in the NFL as a late-round quarterback isn’t a sure thing. Particularly for a team like the Browns, where QB depth is far from established. But rather than embrace the underdog moniker, as Pluto suggests, “If I were (Sanders), I would play the underdog label. But he’s still kind of rolling out the brand stuff.” Will this swag transform into performance? Also, he needs to keep impressing Kevin Stefanski. It would be interesting to see.

Sanders might still possess the arm and charm to be something special. But until attitude catches up with mission, he’ll continue to be a headline for the wrong reasons.