The Cleveland Browns may be sitting at 3-9, but the storylines around this team are anything but dull-especially with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders now at the center of the offense. After a sideline moment caught on camera during Sunday’s loss to the 49ers showed Sanders and veteran wideout Jerry Jeudy in what looked like a heated exchange, questions naturally followed. But both players have since made it clear: this isn’t a locker room rift-it’s just football.
Jeudy: “Me and Shedeur good.”
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Jerry Jeudy didn’t shy away from the incident. When asked if he would’ve handled the moment differently, Jeudy offered a straightforward answer.
“Probably talk to him off camera, that’s probably what I would have done differently,” Jeudy said. “I’m going to speak my mind and say what I see out there, but it is what it is.
It’s football. Me and Shedeur good.
Stuff like that happens.”
That moment came after Sanders missed Jeudy on a deep shot early in the first quarter. Jeudy was targeted four times in the game, finishing with three catches for 26 yards. The frustration was visible, but Jeudy emphasized that the emotions were nothing out of the ordinary in a high-intensity, high-stakes environment.
“We spoke about it,” Jeudy added. “We’re good. ...
It’s an emotional sport. Things like that happen.
It’s football.”
Sanders: “We resolved that.”
Sanders, meanwhile, kept things short and focused when asked about the exchange.
“We resolved that,” he said. “We’re not going to speak on that.”
It’s clear Sanders is more focused on the task ahead than revisiting a sideline spat. And with good reason-he’s still in the early stages of building chemistry with his offense after taking over as the starter just two weeks ago.
The rookie completed 16 of 25 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown in the 26-8 loss to a dominant San Francisco defense. Not bad for a second career start, especially considering the Browns’ offensive line struggled to hold off the 49ers’ relentless pass rush.
But Sanders knows there’s more work to be done.
Building trust, building timing
“The hardest thing in this game and right now is having trust-having trust in everybody,” Sanders said on Wednesday. “Certain movements, certain things, it’s so detailed, and that’s how I play very comfortably. That’s how I get in my comfort zone, that’s how I get in my bag, that’s how I’m able to do that.”
Sanders is navigating a non-traditional rookie season. He didn’t get first-team reps until Week 12, and now he’s being asked to lead an offense that’s still trying to find its rhythm. That’s a steep learning curve, but Sanders isn’t backing down from the challenge.
“It’s different because this is a different year. It’s not a traditional way.
It’s not a traditional situation, and that’s OK because it’s a challenge,” he said. “And I know we’re going to be able to overcome the challenge.
But it just expedites everything. You just go out there and take risks.
It is what it is.”
Looking ahead: Titans on deck, Watson on the radar
The Browns host the 1-11 Tennessee Titans this Sunday, a game that could serve as a confidence booster-or a pressure cooker-for Sanders. With Deshaun Watson inching closer to a potential return, the rookie may need to string together multiple strong performances to hold onto the starting job down the stretch.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski has kept things close to the vest regarding the quarterback situation, but it’s safe to say the leash for Sanders may be short if Watson is medically cleared. That makes every snap, every throw, and every sideline conversation matter just a little more.
For now, though, the Browns are focused on the present. And despite the growing pains, Sanders and Jeudy are aligned where it counts: on the same page, moving forward.
Because in the NFL, especially in December, it’s not about avoiding the tough moments-it’s about how you respond to them.