Last year, after both of his sons found their respective NFL teams, Deion Sanders visited Shilo Sanders at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ training camp. At the same time, Coach Prime also wanted to visit his younger son, Shedeur Sanders, at the Cleveland Browns‘ training camp. However, Shedeur asked his father not to visit, telling him, “Dad, I may get three, four reps in practice. I don’t want you seeing that. No, I’m not where I want to be. Let me get where I need to be.”
Fast forward this year, and Shedeur Sanders is headed into his second NFL season. While the offseason is over, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that Shedeur still isn’t where he wants his dad to see him. Despite outperforming Deshaun Watson in training camp, head coach Todd Monken named Watson the starting quarterback ahead of the regular-season opener. That decision certainly led Coach Prime to express his frustration.
“We all know what’s transpiring with Shedeur, although he’s playing extremely well.”
It’s seemingly clear that Deion is not happy with the Browns’ decision to name Watson the starter over Shedeur. Noting his response, former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel believes that Coach Prime is unhappy about Shedeur’s situation in Cleveland and won’t care about breaking his character if he needs to.
“You can see how unhappy Coach Prime is in his body language and his tone of voice,” said Samuel on the Say What Needs To Be Said podcast. “You can see the unhappiness he feels for his son. It’s like, ‘Why is this continuing to happen to my son?’ Damn. And they don’t want Coach Prime to start talking crazy.
“They don’t want Coach Prime to get out of character. And if you know Coach Prime, he don’t care, especially when it comes to his baby boy, and I feel like this is getting to the tipping point for Coach Prime. He’s like right on the edge.”
Many around the league believed that the decision to name Watson as the starter was not in Monken’s hands. In fact, the team wanted to utilize Watson’s five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal, considering the quarterback has started just 19 games since signing with them four years ago.
So, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that Coach Prime is frustrated, despite believing that his son has been performing extremely well.
Monken wanted both quarterbacks to start alternatively in the first two preseason games before naming the QB1. Watson started the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears and completed 11-of-15 passes for 126 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. Sanders, meanwhile, went 6-of-11 for 79 yards and 1 pick.
Against the Buffalo Bills in the second preseason matchup, however, Sanders got the nod, as the quarterback completed 9-of-11 for 74 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Watson, meanwhile, struggled in the second half, as he went 5-of-12 for 36 yards, and the home crowd booed the quarterback. Days later, Monken named Watson the starting quarterback for Week 1.
Of course, that decision didn’t sit well with many, considering Watson has struggled in the past with both inconsistencies and multiple injuries. At the same time, he is entering the final year of his five-year deal, with no clear expectation of a future in Cleveland beyond the 2026 season.
Sanders, meanwhile, is entering just his second NFL season, while the Browns still need to develop a franchise quarterback. This is exactly why Joel Klatt believes Sanders should leave Cleveland to build a successful NFL career.
“He was, at a minimum, the second-best quarterback in that class. Minimum. Maybe the top quarterback,” Klatt said of Sanders. “I still believe, I know this may sound crazy. He’s going to work out somewhere. It might not be Cleveland… and let’s face it, you might just need to leave Cleveland because that place historically has been an absolute dumpster fire when it comes to quarterback play.”
For now, Watson will start against the Jacksonville Jaguars. As for Shedeur Sanders, he will need to wait to get an opportunity, just like he did last season. As for his future in Cleveland, that still remains a big debate.