How Shedeur Sanders stacks up in the Cleveland Browns quarterback room remains a contentious issue even after the Week 1 depth chart was announced on Tuesday - but his father, Deion Sanders, has shown where he stands in the debate.
Some Shedeur supporters have argued that the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback, who garnered first-round buzz but ultimately fell to the Browns in the fifth round, has been sabotaged by Cleveland, which placed him third on their depth chart behind Joe Flacco and third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel.
However, former NFL safety Ryan Clark, a supporter of the Sanders family, argued that there have been steep expectations placed on Shedeur that are not common for a fifth-round pick, which is how the Browns evaluated him.
"What it is that they're doing is they're treating Shedeur Sanders like a fifth-round pick," Clark said on ESPN's "Get Up." "We're not covering every fifth round pick in the NFL, hoping that he gets the opportunity to be the starter on Day 1. We felt like, oh my goodness, they got a diamond in the rough. Shedeur Sanders fell to the fifth round. They felt like they evaluated him there, and that's where they picked him. They're playing the guy that they picked in the third round over him because they evaluate him at a higher level than what they do Shedeur Sanders."
Clark faced backlash from fans and addressed the matter, which drew a message of support from Deion.
"For all the people that called me a sellout throughout the week for my analysis on Shedeuer Sanders... I do wanna say something to you sincerely from the bottom of my heart: and that's kiss my a**," Clark said in a video on his Instagram.
Deion wrote in the comments: "We love you my brother and I'm speaking for the Sanders family. Keep on being u. I respect u admire u and can count on u to keep it (100)!"
Deion's support of Clark's messaging regarding Shedeur's situation with the Browns is clearly the narrative the Sanders family wants publicized.
Cleveland beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot reported on Aug. 31 that while Flacco will have the go-ahead for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns are prepared to "hand the reins to Gabriel without hesitation."
"As for Sanders, he'll also get some live action this season, but probably not until later... when he's more seasoned," she added.
For more on the Browns and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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