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Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders responded Thursday to recent comments made by former NFL coach and current ESPN pundit Rex Ryan.
Last week, Ryan condemned Sanders for his behavior during a segment on the network’s “Get Up.”
“This kid says, ‘I could be a starting quarterback,’ with his arms crossed like that. Put yourself in the front row, study and do all that. If I know, the whole league knows,” Ryan said of Sanders. “Stop being embarrassing like that. You have the talent to be a quarterback. You should be embarrassed that you’re not a quarterback now.”
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Former Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan poses for a photo on the red carpet during the ESPN The Party event in Houston’s Arts District. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Sanders responded to the criticism while speaking to reporters after Thursday’s practice.
“He’s just trying to start something,” Sanders said.
“We’re not talking about negativity from now on. We’re not doing that. I’m just here to be positive and I’m not talking about anything negative. This is the new way of doing things, this is what we’re moving forward. Anything negative, we don’t talk about it, we don’t talk about it.”
CAM NEWTON MAKES BOLD CLAIM ABOUT BROWNS PATTERNS AND HANDLING OF SHEDEUR SANDERS
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on September 28, 2025. (David Reginek/Imagn Images)
Sanders also addressed the public response to an incident last week, when reporters asked him for his response to teammate and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel being named the team’s starting quarterback, and Sanders responded by mouthing words without saying anything.
“I guess not everyone likes to play all the time,” Sanders said. “So it’s about understanding how to be at all times and keeping my personality a little thinner, I guess. Because not everyone understands it at all times and you might not have all the time to be able to explain things.”
After the team traded veteran quarterback Joe Flacco this week, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski did not confirm that Sanders would move to second behind Gabriel for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Stefanski told reporters he would “let the week play out” before choosing between Sanders and practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) listens to the national anthem before the game between the Browns and the Los Angeles Rams at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory credit: (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)
Sanders said he sees a “light at the end of the tunnel” regarding the situation.
“I’m in a great mental space overall,” Sanders said. “So I would say you tend to get a little more excited when you see a light at the end of the tunnel, for sure. … Whatever my role is here, I’m grateful. I’m happy to do it.”
