Shedeur Sanders Under Fire After Interception Effort - But the Browns Are Still Backing Their Young QB
Shedeur Sanders is learning the hard way what it means to be a starting quarterback in the NFL - especially in Cleveland, where the spotlight burns a little hotter and the margin for error is razor thin. After a rough outing against the Bears that included three interceptions, Sanders is facing criticism not just for his arm, but for what he didn’t do after one of those picks.
Former Super Bowl champion Daniel Chase didn’t hold back during a film breakdown, zeroing in on Sanders' lack of effort following one of his interceptions. On the play in question, Sanders stood still as the return began, while nearly every other Browns player turned to chase the ball carrier.
“This is going to get on the coach’s nerves,” Chase said. “You can get mad at me for pointing it out all you want.
But watch Shedeur. After the interception, what are you taught as a quarterback?
Don’t just stand there. He’s the only guy not moving.
I promise you that’s getting talked about.”
It’s the kind of critique that stings - not because it’s unfair, but because it touches on something deeper than stats or schemes. It’s about effort.
Leadership. The unspoken expectations that come with being the guy under center.
But not everyone is ready to pile on. On The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima, the hosts pushed back against the criticism, suggesting that self-preservation might’ve played a role in Sanders’ reaction - and that it was the right call, given the stakes.
“You’re trying to be a hero out there,” Lima said. “You just got to be so careful.
If you’re Shedeur Sanders, this is it: you go out there, and you injure a hamstring - forget about getting it - you start running in the opposite direction than you’re expected to, and then boom, hamstring time. Then you’re done for the year.
Guys, we’re done with the conversation about him starting next year.”
Carman echoed that sentiment, drawing a direct line to the Browns’ recent quarterback history - and the lingering scars from it.
“We’re in this mess because of Baker Mayfield,” Carman said. “The whole reason why you guys are cussing each other out and not going to each other’s Christmas parties this year, it all starts with Baker and that injury. The reason why we’re in this mess right now is because Baker tried to make that tackle.”
It’s a fair point - and a painful one for Browns fans who remember how Mayfield’s attempt to make a tackle after a pick turned into a lingering shoulder injury that derailed a season and, arguably, a franchise trajectory. The Browns have been down this road before. They’ve seen what happens when a quarterback tries to play hero in a moment that doesn’t demand it.
Still, optics matter. And for Sanders, the image of standing still while the play continued around him isn’t the kind of thing that goes unnoticed - especially when you're the new starter trying to earn the locker room and the city’s trust.
Sanders’ journey to the starting role hasn’t been a straight line. The former Colorado standout began the season as the Browns’ third-string quarterback, buried on the depth chart and largely out of the conversation. But injuries and inconsistency at the position opened the door, and last week, he was handed the keys to the offense for the rest of the season.
That kind of leap - from developmental prospect to starter - doesn’t happen without showing something in practice, in meetings, and in the locker room. But now comes the hard part: proving you belong on Sundays.
His performance against the Bears was a step back. The three interceptions were costly, and the lack of urgency after one of them only amplified the criticism.
But head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t panicking. Instead, he framed the game as a necessary growing pain - a learning experience for a young quarterback thrown into the fire.
And that’s exactly what this is. Sanders is in the deep end now.
The film room doesn’t lie, and the critics won’t go quiet. But the Browns are giving him a chance to learn, to adjust, and to grow into the role.
That’s not something every young quarterback gets in this league - especially in December, with playoff hopes still flickering.
For Sanders, this is the defining stretch. The next few games won’t just shape his future in Cleveland - they’ll determine whether he’s viewed as a stopgap or a real piece of the franchise’s long-term puzzle.
The spotlight is on. Now it’s up to him to respond.