Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was always going to enter the league with the spotlight centered on him. That’s the cost of doing business as Deion Sanders’ son.
But neither Sanders nor his father have done much to dim those lights. A projected first-round pick, Sanders’ fall to Round 5 was the preeminent story of the 2025 NFL Draft. He reportedly fell short of expectations during the pre-draft process, and without blue-chip talent, Sanders was more risk than reward for every team early in the draft.
As the fourth quarterback on Cleveland’s mess of a depth chart, Sanders had the opportunity to put his plummet behind him and earn his team’s trust, both on and off the field.
Reviews are mixed on Sanders’ performance at minicamp and organized team activities (OTAs). But off the field, Sanders is speeding his way out of town.
On June 5, Sanders was ticketed for speeding, going 91 mph in a 65-mph zone, per Alex Darus. Fewer than two weeks later, on June 17, he was pulled over again for going 101 mph in a 60-mph zone.
At Browns tight end Davis Njoku’s charity softball event, Sanders’ response to those speeding tickets went viral.
“I’m just a little boy … I made some wrong choices personally,” Sanders said. “I gotta own up to them. I made some not-great choices. I learn from ‘em. I learn. I learn.”
Sanders’ phrasing will earn him criticism. Sure, he was joking. But being a franchise quarterback means being accountable, mature, and learning from one’s mistakes. For all intents and purposes, everybody speeds. It’s not an indictment of Sanders’ character.
However, it’s worth wondering why one ticket wasn’t enough. Maybe the hundreds of dollars in fines aren’t significant enough to move the needle. Perhaps he’s a young kid in a new area who happened to get unlucky.
That answer isn’t clear. What is overtly obvious, though, is that Sanders’ goal should have been to avoid controversy at all cost. His leash is short and he doesn’t have the early-round draft capital to save him.
Sanders is only making life more difficult for himself, and his response hasn’t earned him any more confidence. Fair or not, he must prove that he has the character to lead Cleveland to the promised land. Inexcusably, he hasn’t slowed down enough to learn that lesson.