Beware, Shedeur Sanders: Browns could cut you for less than speeding tickets
Beware, Shedeur Sanders: Browns could cut you for less than speeding tickets
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Shedeur Sanders not feeling pressure from his doubters
After sliding in the NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders explains why he's not bothered by his many doubters as Browns career begins.
Sports Pulse
It's one thing to catch fire on the football field. Think about what wideout Puka Nacua has done during two exceptional seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, for example. Otherwise? Fifth-round draft picks entering the NFL need to be flame retardant.
In the case of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, encasing himself in an asbestos cocoon might have been the prudent move. Alas.
Rather than avoiding an NFL spotlight that's sparked so many off-field wildfires over the years, Sanders has instead provided fresh kindling for a legion of critics waiting to pounce – cited by police for driving 101 miles per hour after midnight ET Tuesday in suburban Cleveland. The listed speed limit where he committed the infraction was 60 mph.
Turns out, it was his second speeding ticket in Ohio this month.
Maybe you're thinking this isn't a big deal, mistakes easily ascribed to youthful intemperance. And Sanders, 23, didn't cause any accidents. He wasn't driving under the influence. His maximum legal exposure for Tuesday's fourth-degree misdemeanor is a $250 fine.
Yet it's hard not to regard the behavior as more troubling given it's apparently becoming a pattern. And, per court records obtained by ESPN, Sanders failed to appear for an arraignment for his first citation and could have to pay $269 in fines and court fees.
"He is taking care of the tickets," club spokesman Peter John-Baptiste told Cleveland.com.
Beyond that, the Browns haven't issued a public statement. Nor has Sanders. And why should they? These incidents – if it's even the appropriate term – pretty plainly speak for themselves.
'I just feel like in life and everything, it's just me versus me, you know?' Sanders said following Cleveland's rookie minicamp last month.
'I can't control any other decision besides that. So, I just try to be my best self at all times.'
Obviously, he's falling short of that goal. Still, it would be silly to suggest that these should be fireable offenses − for now. However they are certainly (additional?) unforced errors from a player whose judgment outside the lines has drawn far more scrutiny in recent months than his generally reliable decision-making on the field. And it's fair to say a guy who's been running with the fourth stringers is further distinguishing himself in the Browns' crowded competition to be QB1 in 2025 – and that isn't a compliment.
There are three men ahead of Sanders on Cleveland's depth chart. Grizzled veteran Joe Flacco is a former Super Bowl MVP who also revitalized the Browns into a playoff squad in 2023. Kenny Pickett didn't pan out as a 2022 first-rounder for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he does have a 15-10 record as a starter in the NFL and earned a Super Bowl ring of his own last season as a backup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Like Sanders, Dillon Gabriel is a rookie. Gabriel was also drafted 50 spots ahead of Sanders following a distinguished college run that saw him start the most games ever (64) by a Division I quarterback while accounting for an FBS record 190 career touchdowns. He led the University of Oregon to a No. 1 ranking last year and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Sanders (somehow?) got his No. 2 – a digit the Browns didn't even see fit to let him select – retired by the University of Colorado, which went 13-12 during his two seasons and didn't win a bowl game. Despite his unremarkable physical skills, he was unequivocally one of the country's better college quarterbacks – though it also helped to play with Heisman Trophy-winning receiver Travis Hunter, the No. 2 overall pick of this year's draft.
Nevertheless, neither Flacco, Pickett nor Gabriel has been ticketed for excessive speeding … or drawn flak for anything else of note in their personal lives. Meanwhile, Sanders must prove he's a superior option to a trio of others who have reputations as sterling citizens and, in one context or another, solid quarterbacks.
And, don't forget, there are also quite a few notable players behind Sanders.
Just since 2012, the year Jimmy Haslam became the club's owner, the Browns have spent first-round picks on the likes of Brandon Weeden and Baker Mayfield, the top pick in 2018. Cleveland traded back into Round 1 in 2014 for Johnny Manziel, then gave up the farm and a fully guaranteed $230 million contract to acquire troubled Deshaun Watson eight years later. (Remarkably – or maybe not since we're talking about the Browns – neither Watson nor Manziel ever led Cleveland in passing yards in a season even once.)
It didn't take Haslam long to lose patience with Weeden or Manziel, who didn't last two years in the league thanks to his pitiful play and off-field transgressions. (And, as of June 2025, no one should be comparing Manziel's brand of hubris or serious personal issues to anything Sanders has done, allegedly or otherwise − though the latter also isn't the must-see, dual threat football talent 'Johnny Football' once was.)
Mayfield often played well – and frequently through pain when he doubtless would have been better off anywhere but a football field – for a fairly flawed team yet was still unceremoniously dumped in favor of now-injured Watson, who only remains on the roster due to his onerous contract.
And these were all guys the Browns were heavily invested in. And, remember, they already own two first-round choices in what's expected to be a quarterback-rich 2026 draft, so it's not like any of their current passers has a significant margin for error.
Though Sanders was widely expected to go in the first round of this year's draft, more than one pundit suggested the son of legendary Hall of Famer and Buffs coach Deion Sanders would more likely be a Day 2 pick if his name was Shedeur Jones. Turns out, apparently since his name is Shedeur Sanders, who was never the kind of generational talent who'd blind teams with scintillating gifts, he became a fifth-round flier – the type of player who doesn't even need to give a team a reason to cut him.
Asked about his approach after Cleveland finally ended his highly scrutinized draft free fall in April, Sanders said this: 'Get there and handle my business. Do what I have to do, whatever role that is. I'm just thankful for the opportunity. So that's all I could ask for.
'The rest is on me.'
Yep.
Sanders should practice what he's already preached. If he's not more careful, the next ticket he's served with could be the one-way variety – to football exile.
All NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chip Kelly: Not many humans have size and speed like Raiders rookie WR Dont'e Thornton
At the NFL Scouting Combine, former Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. opened a lot of eyes by measuring 6-foot-5 and running his 40-yard dash in 4.30 seconds. He was the tallest player ever to run that fast at the Combine. That led the Raiders to draft Thornton in the fourth round despite minimal production in college: He caught just 65 passes in four seasons of college football, two at Tennessee and two at Oregon. Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly says that a unique talent like Thornton can develop into a productive receiver, even if he hasn't done it yet. Advertisement "I think Dont'e is unique in terms of he's just a hair under 6-5 and he ran 4.3. There's not a lot of humans on this planet that do that," Kelly said, via "And I think if you had a draw up an outside receiver, you would pick that type of body type, someone that's got length, someone that's got a huge catch radius, but also has speed. Sometimes you can get a big guy like that, but he can't really run, so they can stay with him. So, you add that speed element to him, his ability to sink his hips, his ability to get in and out of cuts." The Raiders have a long history of valuing physical attributes like size and speed, and General Manager John Spytek said Raiders owner Mark Davis knows his father, Al Davis, would have loved Thornton. "Mark joked that was the Al Davis pick of this draft," Spytek said. "The height, weight, speed, raw traits, athleticism, speed, and I think it's just focusing on what he can do and what he can be. . . . You watch his target tape, I think it's pretty impressive. And we think he hasn't hit his ceiling yet." The Raiders think they added a uniquely talented receiver when they brought Thornton to Las Vegas.
USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
Huge 2026 NFL mock draft update rebuilds Steelers offense
We are a month away from the start of NFL training camps and just after that, the college football season will kick off. So we thought now was the perfect time to update our five-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL draft. As things stand right now, we have five quarterbacks with a first-round grade and depending how the college season plays out, there should be a potential franchise quarterback on the board when the Steelers pick in the first round. This time around we utilized the mock draft simulator from Mock Draft Database that utilizes projected compensatory picks and very up to date prospect rankings. First round - QB Fernando Mendoza - Indiana The Steelers pick No. 15 overall in this mock and a run on quarterbacks leave them with Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. He's not a household name yet but by the time the draft gets here, he should be one of the first four quarterbacks off the board. Second round - CB Jalon Kilgore - South Carolina Kilgore has prototypical NFL size and athleticism and showed a ton of growth last season in his coverage technique. Third round - TE Max Klare - Purdue We are rooting for Darnell Washington but if tight end becomes a bigger part of the offense, a pick like Klare as a receiving weapon makes a lot of sense. Third round - WR Nic Anderson - LSU Anderson is healthy and getting a fresh start at LSU. He is good at everything and has no real glaring weaknesses to his game. Third round - RB Jonah Coleman - Washington If Jaylen Warren leaves after the season, the Steelers will need to add a back to go with Kaleb Johnson. Coleman is a powerful, squatty back with impressive balance truly elite vision with sneaky athleticism. Fourth round - OT Drew Shelton - Penn State Massive powerfuly run blocker who just overwhelms defenders with his size and power. Fourth round - S Keon Sabb - Alabama Exceptional developmental safety who might end up going much sooner than this if he can develop more in coverage Fifth round - IOL - Febechi Nwaiwu - Oklahoma Nwaiwu transfered to Oklahoma last season and after he got up to speed, really looked good as the team's starting right tackle. We expect him to make another big jump in 2025 and he could be Isaac Seumalos' replacement. Fifth round - WR Germie Bernard - Alabama Alabama is Bernard's third FBS team in four seasons. He's not spectacular in any area but he's found a way to develop as a really reliable possession receiver if he can just have some stability in coaching and scheme.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Travis Kelce Reveals Secret Behind Weight Loss While Taylor Swift ‘Motivates' Him
Travis Kelce recently opened up about his weight loss journey during a press conference. Previously, the NFL player had admitted to putting on some pounds ahead of the 2024-25 season. Earlier this week, he confessed that he has shed some weight and is all set to make a comeback for the forthcoming season. Additionally, his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, has played a major role in motivating him during the NFL offseason. Travis Kelce reveals running helped him shed some pounds ahead of NFL season Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's romance has often made headlines for many reasons. Along with enjoying their dating life, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has also been training hard ahead of the upcoming NFL season. A few reports about the player losing 25 pounds during the NFL offseason had made headlines a while ago. Advertisement In a recent press conference, a reporter questioned Travis Kelce about his weight loss. The athlete chuckled and requested the attendees not to believe everything 'on the internet.' He mentioned that he had 'never told anybody' about losing 25 pounds. Furthermore, Swift's beau admitted that he has shed 'some weight from the end of the season last year.' 'This year, I got some time to really focus on some form running and some things early on in the offseason that I just didn't have time for last year,' the Chiefs tight end added. Meanwhile, the NFL star's friend Pat McAfee highlighted the singer's influence in Travis Kelce's efforts to rebuild himself during the offseason. In an episode of 'The Pat McAfee Show,' the host stated, 'I think they continue to inspire each other, I think they continue to motivate each other. I think they continue to be great for each other.' Apparently, the pop star's motivation is said to help her boyfriend's game in the upcoming season. She even stayed in Florida, where Kelce was training, to inspire him. The couple was also spotted spending some quality time there as they were photographed on a date night. The post Travis Kelce Reveals Secret Behind Weight Loss While Taylor Swift 'Motivates' Him appeared first on Reality Tea.
