Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Dealt Harsh Reality Check After Minicamp

The Shedeur Sanders hype train is picking up steam, but a former NFL coach is urging everyone to pump the brakes on the Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback.

The Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round after passing on him multiple times during the draft. Once projected as an early first-round pick, Sanders’ dramatic slide became one of the biggest storylines of draft weekend.

Since arriving in Cleveland, Sanders has handled his draft tumble with maturity and has impressed with both his play and work ethic.

“He’s in there early, he’s getting his work done. He’s working really, really hard,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told ESPN Cleveland. “I like everything there is about Shedeur.”

Mangini: Take Shedeur Sanders Numbers With Grain of Salt

Sanders is part of a crowded four-man quarterback competition that also includes Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Kenny Pickett. The Browns have worked to distribute reps evenly, but Sanders has yet to take snaps with the first-team offense or face the starting defense. Until that changes, former Browns head coach Eric Mangini believes the excitement should be tempered.

“All of his reps have been with the backend guys,” Mangini said on “The Herd.” “He hasn’t gotten any reps with the ones. That’s a good decision because as soon as he gets in with the ones, then the hype train is going to roll ever further. I say his numbers have to be taken with a gigantic grain of salt. There’s a lot of learning going on for him and to see the numbers, that’s positive, but he’s also working versus the backend of the roster, so his numbers should be a little bit higher just based on that, as well.”

Sanders has kept his head down and focused on the work during OTAs and minicamp. And he hasn’t been detered by the lack of reps with the starters.

“Life is just based on how you view different things,” Sanders said during minicamp. “So you can view things as you’re not getting reps in a negative way or you can view it as, OK, when it’s my time to get out there, let’s be proactive and let’s get warm, let’s get going.

“So, there’s no excuses because when you get out there, nobody cares how many reps you got whenever you get in the game. Nobody cares if you took a snap before. Everybody cares about production. So that’s the main thing when you get out there: You got to be able to produce.”

Browns Not in Rush to Establish QB Depth Chart

The starting quarterback decision will be the Browns’ most significant call of the preseason. But the team isn’t rushing to establish a pecking order.

“Yeah, 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.”

There’s also a scenario where Sanders builds solid rapport during training camp and the preseason but doesn’t win the starting job. If the Browns struggle to win consistently, he could still see action later in the season.