Browns Legend Hits Shedeur Sanders With Blunt Advice

Cleveland Browns legend Joe Thomas offered some interesting advice to rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, urging the polarizing passer to remain humble.

Thomas is widely regarded as one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Drafted third overall in 2007, Thomas anchored the Browns’ offensive line for 11 seasons, earning 10 Pro Bowl selections and six first-team All-Pro honors.

Though the Browns struggled during his tenure, Thomas’ excellence on the field and leadership in the locker room made him a beloved figure in Cleveland and he is still a presence around the team in various capacities.

Thomas passed on some advice to Sanders, who has taken over the headlines in Cleveland since being selected in the fifth round.

“Keep your mouth closed, and your eyes and ears open,” Thomas said during an ESPN Cleveland radio appearance. “Be humble, always diffuse praise, and always assume any criticism and accept it.”

Shedeur Sanders Making Right Impression With Browns

Thomas continued with his advice, urging Sanders to be self-critical.

“The best thing he can do is just go to work every single day, get a little bit better,” Thomas continued. “Get better at one thing, write at the top of your notebook, ‘This is the goal for today, this is what I want to get better at, this is how I’ll get better at it,’ and then, at the end of the day, go back and be very critical. The mirror test. Look yourself in the mirror, and be the most harsh critic of yourself and your game, and say, ‘Did I accomplish what I set out to do at this practice?'”

Sanders has been making the right impression so far with the Browns. Coach Kevin Stefanski has praised Sanders for his work ethic during his short time with the Browns so far.

“Shedeur is a great kid,” Stefanski said recently. “He is working like crazy, like all the guys. My office is downstairs. They’ve got to walk by my office when they come in. They get in early. Shedeur, just like all those guys, is in there early, getting his work done. He’s working really hard. I like everything about Shedeur.”

Browns Still Undecided on Quarterback Depth

The Browns are giving Sanders a shot but he’s in a tough position. The former Colorado star is part of a four-man competition that also includes Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.

Based on his minicamp reps — which have not included time with the starters — Sanders seems to be slotted fourth in the quarterback rotation, even as his play has earned praise. Still, Stefanski has downplayed the significance of rep counts and order at this stage of the competition.

“We’re so far away from that type of thought process,” Stefanski said. “Honestly, it’s a, we’re in our installation phase. It’s the offseason, it’s OTAs, so we’re going to keep the focus there. Once you get into training camp, of course you’re getting ready to play games and ultimately getting ready for playing the season. But right now that’s not our focus.”

Sanders and the Browns will gather for training camp in July, with their preseason slate kicking off Aug. 8 against the Carolina Panthers.