Shedeur Sanders has 3 political reasons blocking him from becoming Browns QB1, claims former linebacker

Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho explained why Shedeur Sanders might not become the Cleveland Browns' QB1.

Sanders excelled during his two-season stint with the Colorado Buffaloes, but despite being a projected top-three pick, he only went in the fifth round of the draft to the Browns. The 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner was the second QB choice, behind Dillon Gabriel, who was picked in the third round.

Shedeur Sanders is fighting for his spot on the Browns roster in a four-way competition that includes veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, whom the Browns brought to the team in the offseason before the draft.

On Thursday, Acho expressed doubts about Shedeur's chances of being the Browns' QB1, mentioning on The Facility three "political" reasons that hinder the rookie's chances.

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"Even if Shedeur is the most talented quarterback, it might be politics that keep him from starting week one," Acho said. "What might those politics be? Hey, we've invested $4 million into Joe Flacco, politics number one. Hey, we traded for Kenny Pickett, politics number two. Hey, we drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round, and Shedeur in the fifth round, politics number three."

"Even if Shedeur is better, here are politics that might keep him rom starting week one."

Shedeur Sanders was in the spotlight for his impressive early OTAs statistics. He completed 7-of-9 passes attempted, scoring three touchdowns. While it garnered attention from the national media, local reporters familiar with the situation provided more context.

According to Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot, Shedeur Sanders didn't participate in the 11-on-11 training session. He's viewed as the fourth-string quarterback on the depth chart and has his work cut out to become an important part of the roster.

HOFer Kurt Warner has high praise for Shedeur Sanders

In May, Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner shared his thoughts on Coach Prime's son. On the Jim Rome Show, Warner praised Shedeur's accuracy and talent with the ball.

Warner also said that the ex-Colorado star didn't deserve to go as low as the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

"My evaluation was (Sanders was) the most accurate quarterback I've got in this draft," Warner said. "When he sets his feet, when he's comfortable in the pocket, he delivers the football, the ball goes where he wants it to go.

" I really like Shedeur Sanders. He wasn't a fifth round prospect, in my opinion... I'm excited to see how this Cleveland quarterback room plays out."

During his two-season stint with the Buffs, Shedeur tallied 7,364 yards and 64 TDs passing. In 2024, he helped them to a 9-4 record and an Alamo Bowl loss against the BYU Cougars.

About the author

Priyam is a College Sports content executive at Sportskeeda with a master's in Advertising and Marketing Management and over two years of experience as a writer. When it comes to reporting, Priyam believes doing a technical deep dive is one of his biggest strengths and he loves to dissect plays on the field and factor out the strengths/weaknesses of players.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Priyam sees Nick Saban as the greatest coach of all time. He is also rooting for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milore after following his progress over the years. The Michigan Wolverines football team is another of his favorite programs and it will be interesting to see how both these teams perform in new coaching eras.

When he’s not reporting, Priyam is usually at the gym or indulging in music. He has been a guitarist and a drummer for the past 17 years and finds his time of peace when playing music.

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Edited by Bhargav