Shedeur Sanders hit a rough patch in his second professional start on Sunday, as the Cleveland Browns were overmatched in a 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. It was a game that reminded everyone-rookie or not-the NFL doesn’t hand out learning curves without consequences. But the real sting for Sanders came after the final whistle, when the 49ers kept the pressure on through social media.
Several San Francisco players took to Instagram to troll the rookie quarterback, zeroing in on his off-field persona as much as his on-field performance. Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson led the charge, posting a photo with a caption that referenced a hip-hop track Sanders released during his college days at Colorado. The jab wasn’t subtle, and it didn’t take long for others to pile on.
Kendrick Bourne chimed in with a comment-“PERFECT TIMING ON THE POST”-while fellow receiver Jordan Watkins added a pointed lyric from the same Sanders song: “Stay Shining.” Even the big men up front joined the chorus, with Trent Williams and Dominick Puni responding with emojis that said plenty-one cold, one laughing.
To his credit, Sanders’ half-brother Deion Jr. tried to flip the moment into a positive, replying, “Love! I appreciate u for using the song and expanding the reach.” It was a calm response in the face of what was clearly a moment of public ribbing from a team that had just dominated his brother on the field.
But while the social media jabs grabbed headlines, the bigger story might be the ongoing questions surrounding Sanders’ relationship with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. That dynamic has been under the microscope all season, and it didn’t get any clearer after Sunday’s loss.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Stefanski offered a measured take on Sanders’ development, saying, “He wants to continue to get better and better, and that’s the right attitude to have, and that’s why we’ll continue to work.” It was a coach’s answer-supportive, but non-committal. And in Cleveland, people have started to notice the subtleties.
One moment that raised eyebrows came after the Browns’ Week 12 win over the Raiders, when Stefanski declined to give Sanders the game ball. It might seem like a small thing, but in NFL locker rooms, symbolic gestures like that can go a long way in building trust between a young quarterback and his head coach.
Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard added his voice to the conversation during an appearance on The Exhibit Show with Josina Anderson. Byard didn’t hold back when talking about the importance of connection between a coach and his quarterback.
“Everybody knows, everybody sees this guy is talented,” Byard said. “And for him to go out there and get a win, especially with the season that they’ve had, I think that would’ve been huge. You see the locker rooms of the teams that are winning, you see the teams that really care about each other.”
He went a step further, pointing to the emotional side of the player-coach relationship: “Until you can develop that type of trust with a player and coach, and a player knows that coach actually cares about them on a human level, it’s hard to connect. Because if a guy don’t feel like you really care about him, it’s like, I don’t care about you.”
It’s a candid take, and it echoes what many are wondering: Is there a real connection between Stefanski and Sanders, or is this simply a short-term arrangement being held together by necessity?
For now, the Browns are focused on the next test. They’ll face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
ET on FOX. All eyes will be on Sanders-not just to see how he bounces back from a tough outing, but to see what kind of support he gets from the sideline.
Because in this league, talent is only part of the equation. Trust matters. And right now, Cleveland still has some work to do on both fronts.