"Everything you said he can’t do, he just did": Chad Johnson loses cool over Shedeur Sanders disrespect after Browns QB's stellar preseason debut

Shedeur Sanders made his NFL debut on Friday, and his Cleveland Browns defeated the Carolina Panthers 30-10.

It was the first time fans saw Sanders since his dramatic fall in the 2025 NFL draft, where the projected first round pick fell to the fifth round.

Sanders played well, throwing for 138 yards and two touchdowns. However, there were some fans who downplayed his performance.

Former Cincinnati Bengal Chad Johnson struck back at those who criticized Sanders for how he played.

"Like, my coach is saying, 'Come on, we're finding something that he can't do,'" Johnson said on Monday, via "Nightcap." "See, you keep telling me what he should do or can't do, where your job as a coach is to put players in position and find something that they can do. Wait a minute. But where's the can't coming from when we just saw him do it?

"I know it's a small sample size. There's three quarters of the football, but everything you say he can't do, he just did. Matter of fact, he just did when we already saw him do it at Jackson State. He just did when we saw him do it in Colorado."

Heading into the game, Sanders was considered either the next big thing for the Browns or another bust in the position. He was the fourth quarterback on their depth chart, which did not help remove any criticism.

Additionally, it was a preseason game. These matchups don't count towards a player's stats. Preseason is when coaches experiment, and tend to see the second and third string players play heavy minutes, with the starters resting.

This was the main point of criticism for Sanders after the game. He did not face the full strength lineup of the Panthers,and his performance was seen as "not important."

However, Johnson disagreed with those comments. He said that what Sanders did was another example of proving his critics wrong. Johnson also mentioned that it was something he did for majority of his collegiate career under his father, Deion Sanders.

Where does Shedeur Sanders sit in the depth chart for Week 2 of preseason?

For the Cleveland Browns, these preseason games are a good time to evaluate the five quarterbacks on their roster. The real competition is for the backup spot, as it is widely assumed that Joe Flacco would be the starter for Week 1.

After his standout performance, many are wondering where Shedeur Sanders is in the depth chart heading into the second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the depth chart released on Tuesday, Sanders is still the fourth string quarterback, behind Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

The silver lining for Sanders is that he is likely to see more action in the remaining preseason games. Strong performances will be needed if he wants to be at least the backup quarterback for the 2025 season.