Shedeur Sanders remains under a microscope even when he’s not on the field. The quarterback has built a strong media presence and continues investing time to make the most of it. However, according to former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan, Sanders is getting too far ahead of himself.

The quarterback’s latest drop on Instagram features a sea of Browns jerseys bearing the number 12, which he wore as a rookie. The quarterback wore a snazzy denim ensemble and a cool pair of shades.

In response to that, Ryan said on X:

“Get a load of this kid… Great talent needs to realize that as a ‘franchise” QB, there has to be more we than me… Cmon man… #Browns #NFL #dawgpound #Growup.”

Even though Sanders has put in the work at camp, he seems much too cool for someone who might not get enough reps as a starter quarterback, all while dealing with trade rumors.

Only in his second year in the league, Sanders is still battling Deshaun Watson for the QB1 job. Even though Sanders was the quarterback the Browns stuck with through the end of last season, his advantage was weakened with Watson’s return. The veteran has been healthy this offseason and has long been the projected starter for Cleveland come Week 1.

It is undeniable that Shedeur Sanders, though young, is very popular. According to a report from Front Office Sports, Sanders earned more than $17.7 million in NFLPA royalties over the past year. These earnings came from licensed products such as jersey sales, trading cards, autographs, collectibles, and other merchandise that used his name and image. He was also among the most trending NFL players on Google in 2025.

Meanwhile, Sanders has apparently closed the gap on Watson in the battle for the starting job, but he’s not quite there yet. Head coach Todd Monken and other coaches have noted his improvement, but it is tough to hope for Sanders edging past Watson to get the crown.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio also suggested the quarterback lock into the fight.

“If Shedeur Sanders ends up being a Pro Bowler this year, maybe [Todd Monken] will be reflecting during an interview and he’ll say, ‘Well, you know, the moment that it all turned was early in the offseason program, I brought Shedeur Sanders into my office and I showed him some of the tape of Deshaun Watson going through basic drills and Shedeur going through basic drills. … You can’t win the job if this is how you’re going to approach these drills.'”

If not the quarterback job, branding sure is one area where Shedeur Sanders will defeat Deshaun Watson.