CLEVELAND, Ohio — In a season already filled with quarterback drama, the Cleveland Browns added another bizarre chapter Wednesday when third-string quarterback Shedeur Sanders responded to media questions by silently mouthing words without making a sound, creating one of the strangest scenes in recent NFL memory.
The incident, which immediately went viral, came on the same day the team named rookie Dillon Gabriel their new starter — but Sanders’ silent treatment quickly overshadowed what should have been Gabriel’s moment in the spotlight.
“This is insane,” Orange and Brown Talk host Dan Labbe said on the podcast after seeing the video. “This is one of the craziest things I have ever seen. ... This is one of the most bizarre things that has happened there when I’ve been in that building.”
According to Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot, Sanders’ silent protest appeared to be a direct response to harsh criticism from ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, who recently blasted Sanders for comments he made to ESPN Cleveland about being ready to start.
“Well, I thought that it was in direct response to Shedeur getting absolutely ripped by Rex Ryan on ESPN’s Get Up. That was my first thought. I figured that’s exactly what he’s doing here,” Cabot explained on the podcast.
Ryan had criticized Sanders for suggesting he was ready to start and would be playing if he were on another team, with the ESPN analyst calling the comments “embarrassing” and suggesting Sanders should focus on studying instead.
The silent treatment created an immediate stir in the Browns facility, with team PR staff quickly shutting down the unusual media session. Meanwhile, Sanders’ father, NFL legend Deion Sanders, apparently approved of his son’s antics, responding on social media with “10 laughing emojis and he said, ‘good one, son. You did that,’” according to Cabot.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who was named the Browns’ starter Wednesday after Joe Flacco was demoted to backup. Instead of the focus remaining on Gabriel’s opportunity, Sanders’ bizarre media approach became the day’s biggest story.
Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock pointed out how the silent treatment created unnecessary speculation: “By doing this now, there’s a lot of unnecessary, in my opinion, chatter about, ‘Oh, Shedeur is mad. ... Shedeur thinks he should have been promoted to the backup.’ ... All these assumptions being made that quite honestly are not good for him, are not good for the team and all could have been avoided.”
For Labbe, the incident raised serious questions about Sanders’ readiness for the NFL spotlight, regardless of his on-field abilities.
“The next time somebody says Shedeur is ready to start, I’m just going to find a copy of this video and say, no, he’s not. He’s clearly not mature enough to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. That’s what this told me today,” Labbe said.
With the Browns traveling to London for Sunday’s international matchup against the Vikings — and with Sanders remaining the third-string quarterback — this bizarre silent film performance adds another layer of drama to a team already dealing with significant changes at the sport’s most important position.
What remains to be seen is whether Sanders’ silent treatment will become a footnote in Browns’ history or a defining moment in the young quarterback’s career. One thing is certain — when it comes to creating headlines, Sanders is proving he doesn’t need to say a word.
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