Shedeur Sanders, a rookie quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, returned to practice following an oblique strain and reflected on his experience during training camp as he prepares for the upcoming season. After participating in back-to-back practices for the first time since Aug. 13, Sanders spoke about regaining momentum following his injury and not being concerned about when he might take the field in a regular season game.
“It felt fun,” Sanders said after practice on Aug. 19. “It felt fun to get out there, be with the team going into the final week. I dunno, it was weird, consider it training camp still, but I would just say preseason because on the film breakdown it don’t say training camp, it says preseason. All right, so final week of preseason. It’s a lot because I know it’s a lot of relationships with a lot of guys in the building and a lot of guys in the locker room that we all may never play on the same team again, and that’s just the truth behind it. So I did everything in my power to get out there and be ready for this week one last time with this group.”
The oblique injury forced Sanders to miss two practices and a preseason game against Philadelphia but has improved enough for him to take part in recent practices. He is expected to play when Cleveland faces Los Angeles on Aug. 23.
“It’s healing good,” Sanders said. “Yeah, everything is good. In life it’s always going to be pain, it’s always going to be things, adversity, things that are going to knock you down sometimes, but the main thing about it is you just got to push through it. It’s a lot of people in this world that’s going through stuff, but I’m playing for a lot more than just me.(…)So regardless of pain, that’s always how I’ve been, even in college, in high school and everything from when I was young. Regardless of physically, if I don’t feel my best, I still got to go out there and execute with no excuses.” This statement was made by Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders enters his rookie season as Joe Flacco has been named starting quarterback by head coach Kevin Stefanski for Cleveland’s opener Sept. 7 against Cincinnati Bengals; no official depth chart position has been announced beyond that point for backups including Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.
“Whenever it’s time for me to get out there and play, I’m going to play,” Sanders said. “Whenever it’s time for the lights to come on, I’m going to do my thing. I’m not concerned about when it is. I’m not concerned about how many reps I’m getting at this point. It is what it is. I know when the lights come on, everything going on, when the pressure’s on, you know who I am.”
Reflecting further on his adjustment period since being drafted No. 144 overall by Cleveland this April after years as an uninterrupted starter at previous levels—including Jackson State University where he played under his father Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Deion Sanders—he noted: “Regardless of situation, regardless of anything, I know my time whenever that is I’ll be ready for it and I’m going to embrace that,(…)But in due time I got many things I need to fix many things I need to work on and I’m not oblivious to that So all I look at as I’m getting more time to cook I’m getting more time warm up That’s all it is.” These comments were made by Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders also credited fellow quarterback Tyler Huntley with helping provide perspective: “It’s even some things I forgot (…)I’ve been starting so long ever since COVID year(…)I haven’t really not started since COVID year(…)and then sometimes you got find joy fun because it is fun.(…)You going out there against first defense chip playing receivers trying get out there also(…)all stuff fun make best any situation you.” This was stated by Shedeur Sanders.
During camp thus far he passed for 138 yards with two touchdowns over three quarters against Carolina before sustaining his injury.
###
