For better or worse, due to himself or media obsession, Cleveland Browns third-string quarterback Shedeur Sanders is a near-constant topic in sports media circles.
Things had died down slightly before Sanders decided to mime his answers to questions about the Browns’ depth chart, an apparent response to ESPN’s Rex Ryan. Since then, the rookie’s maturity and presumed desire for attention have rocketed back to the top of the charts of topics worth discussing on ESPN and online.
ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark offered his thoughts on Sanders on Friday’s episode of First Take, saying that he doesn’t want Sanders to change who he is, but the rookie needs to be more aware of the situation he’s in.
I’m not asking Shedeur to inauthentic I’m asking him to be aware. The coverage of Shedeur Sanders has been imbalanced in so many ways. Some of it has been positive, but most has not.
For every person that wants him to succeed there’s 2 that don’t. They just happen to be the… pic.twitter.com/WiLoGJ8wEJ
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) October 3, 2025
“I believe the way that Shedeur Sanders has been covered is unfair,” Clark said. “There are going to be some people on the other side that says some of the things that he’s acquired, some of the partnerships, some of the money, some of the attention are things that aren’t warranted for a third-stream quarterback. That’s his lot in life. His lot in life is that he is Deion Sanders’ son. His lot in life is that he did go to Colorado and change them and made them freaking superstars and made people and celebs want to go to Colorado. He did that. He was a part of that. Now, this comes with it.
“When you hear anonymous sources coming out before the draft and saying things about you in meetings that can’t be proven, that’s because of who you are. There are a lot of people who love Shedeur Sanders and who support him and want to see him do well. As many of those as it is, it’s the people on the other side that don’t. What Shedeur Sanders has to understand, whether it’s fair or not, I don’t care if he pantomimes. I don’t care if he’s funny. I don’t care if he’s charismatic. I don’t care if he shows his personality. I want him to be him. I want him to be authentic. But he got to understand he’s going to be criticized. When he steps up to the mic and he does something like that, you got to know what it is.
“Was Rex harsh? Yes. Did Rex maybe go too hard? Maybe. But that’s his opinion. He’s entitled to that. If you got a problem with people doing that, don’t give them nothing. If you give them something, then just accept it. Stand up, be accountable, and say, ‘That’s on me. I let him talk about me.’
“But my thing is this. He’s going to be interviewed. He’s going to be talked to as long as he gives them something. If I know I’m in the media in Cleveland with a sorry team, it don’t matter who I interview, but if I get him to say something, they’re going to have to put my name on the bottom of the screen because I’m the one that asked him. He just got to understand that.
“It is unfair, Shedeur, the way you are criticized, the way you are treated, the way people break down everything that you do, but that is what it is for you. That’s the reality, and you got to move forward knowing that.”