Love him or hate him, but you can never avoid Shedeur Sanders. With a confident personality—that many deem brash and arrogant—and a self-proclaimed “LEGENDARY” status that he even showed off with an iced out necklace, the QB seems to have what it takes to be a social media star. But does he have enough to make it big in the NFL? The answer’s mostly been ones capable of Shedeur and front offices wince: A full-length movie on which we already saw during those four excruciating Draft rounds. And now adding to that narrative is Sanders supporter turned part-time critic, Keyshawn Johnson…

…which is surprising because if we are to go back to recent history, Johnson has always been one to pin blame on the world whenever a question was raised against Shedeur. We all saw it when he explained the QB’s Round 1 snub by theorizing that general managers had their jobs “on the line” and they’d rather take a chance on a veteran rather than a rookie. We saw it again when Sanders’ attitude issue was being blamed and the veteran jumped in: “You get these coaches that are not accustomed to…having these conversations with individuals at this position that have a certain snap, crackle, pop to them…[Shedeur is] smiling and being himself. They’re not used to that. They want him to be something that he’s not.”

So what exactly has the 23-year-old done to turn his staunch supporter against him? The issue at hand is simple: Shedeur aiming for what he shouldn’t. NOT JUST YET. Earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns rookie presented the world with a lengthy bucket list. “Off the field, I want to bring more hope and positivity to the city, and connecting with young people is one of the best ways to do that,” was the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner’s first wish. So far, so good, right? Wait till you hear the next.

“I’m trying to bring Cleveland a Super Bowl.” A sentence that does give fans a lot of hope, but equally worries Keyshawn Johnson. His directive was clear: Don’t make a commitment that tall so early. During the May 7 episode of ‘Speak’, the retired wide receiver initially extended his support for Sanders, “Yes, the Browns will look absolutely smart. I want to say it loud and clear. I’m back at Shedeur. I don’t need people telling me that I’m hating on Shedeur, because that’s not the case,” before directing an important piece of advice for the rookie: “But I’ll say it again. For the 1000th time, I don’t want him talking about the Super Bowl.” Then what should the 23-year-old actually focus on?

“Winning the starting quarterback job. I just wanted to say that loud and clear because over the weekend people, they came for me. It was like I’m hating on Deion’s son…I’m like, ‘All I’ve been doing is supporting him from day one’.” To be honest, Johnson might not be too wrong with his opinion, especially considering how the youngster has been absolutely shred to pieces over his NFL future.

Perhaps the harshest of criticisms came from ex-Steelers running back Merill Hoge who called the Browns QB “not a franchise guy”. Hoge’s point of contention was Sanders’ affinity for bubble screens. Statistically, the signal caller threw 168 passes (a total of 35% among all his throws, and tied for the most in the FBS) that were at or behind the line of scrimmage. So, according to the veteran, this definitely puts him behind players like Jayden Daniels, CJ Stroud or Joe Burrow. “He ain’t even close, he ain’t even in the ballpark. … There’s some toughness to him I like, but how he moves, he ain’t going to put fear in anybody.”

In light of this, it’s understandable why Johnson would want Deion Sanders’ son to walk back on his promises.

After all, there’s a larger issue at hand.

Will Dillon Gabriel defeat Shedeur Sanders?

The Browns have been chasing a quarterback dream since ’99, and let’s be honest – it’s been a painful ride. The Deshaun Watson trade? That one stings the most. Gave up the world, paid a fortune, and it’s been nothing but chaos. Fast forward to now, the QB room still feels messy.

Joe Flacco is back, Kenny Pickett is fighting for a second chance, and then comes the two rookies –  Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Sanders got all the media buzz after slipping from a supposed top pick to the fifth round. But listen to the way Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry talked Gabriel as their guy.

During an interview, the head coach said, “We really felt strongly about Dillon throughout this process. You know, I think he’s a really strong, really, really good prospect. You know, that’s not to say that we didn’t meet with other quarterbacks that we thought were really talented players and good people. But we felt strongly about Dillon. We think he’s an excellent player and felt like he was the most appropriate player to pick for both.” No doubt, the young QB, Gabriel, fits the team’s offense; he moves well, and he’s got that poise they love.

Even Flacco had to roll out last year, so movement matters here. But for Sanders? Well, he’s talented, no doubt, but he ran for his life in college because that O-line gave him nothing. He didn’t move with purpose, he moved to survive. But the Browns praised Gabriel with details. And it’s not that Sanders can’t shine, but right now, the other QB just feels like the better fit. In Cleveland, fit matters more than flash!