Cam Newton publicly called out Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski for failing to set Shedeur Sanders up for success after the rookie failed to impress in his NFL debut
14:59 ET, 18 Nov 2025
Cam Newton makes an appearance on ESPN's 'First Take'
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Cam Newton blasted Kevin Stefanski for his treatment of Shedeur Sanders(Image: First Take)
Cam Newton ruthlessly accused Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski of purposefully setting Shedeur Sanders up to fail after the rookie quarterback struggled mightily in his NFL debut.
During Sunday’s AFC North clash between the Browns’ and Baltimore Ravens, Sanders was greeted by a chorus of cheers as he took the field for Cleveland’s first offensive drive of the second half after Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion.
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The good vibes emanating through Huntington Bank Field quickly dissipated, however, as Cleveland’s offense sputtered with Sanders under center. Once the dust had finally settled on the Browns’ 23-16 loss, the Colorado product completed 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards, no touchdowns and an interception while also being sacked twice for 27 yards.
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While making an appearance on the latest edition of ‘First Take,’ Newton asserted that Sanders was not solely to blame for the underwhelming performance. “I've said this before and I'll say it again. I do not think Kevin Stefanski wants Shedeur Sanders to succeed in Cleveland,” he began.
“Don't tell me what he said. Don't tell me what he's saying. I'm going off of actions. All right, let's go off actions. The actions is if I'm Shedeur or if I'm a Shedeur Sanders fan, I would not want him to take the field because that's going to consistently be the display we're going to see.”
According to Newton, Sanders — or any other quarterback, for that matter — has no chance to succeed due to the lack of offensive playmakers actively present on the Browns’ roster.
The ESPN pundit attributed the lack of talent to the five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract that Cleveland awarded Deshaun Watson, who’s making $46 million in 2025 despite having not played a single down this season.
Shedeur Sanders sits on the field after taking a hit
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Sanders failed to impress during his NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens(Image: Getty Images)
“It doesn't matter if it's Deshaun Watson. It doesn't matter if it's Shedeur Sanders. It doesn't matter if it's Dillon Gabriel. It doesn't matter if it's Dan Orlovsky. It doesn't matter if it's Cam Newton,” Newton said.
“You need help in Cleveland where you have a quarterback that's still making 46 million dollars on your roster and he's not healthy. That impacts the talent that's around them. They are not a good team.”
In addition to the lack of star power, Newton argued that Sanders was destined for failure after not taking a single rep with the first team in practice this year. “You plan for the what ifs in this league. You don't know if you're going to have your quarterback,” he said.
“So for him to not have any reps, for him to have this be his first time that he's taking first team reps where individuals don't even know your snap count or your cadence. That is like, yo, bro. What are we doing here?
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“You don't control the team's whole overall existence by not allowing individuals to get better. As a head coach, you are responsible for these things. You are responsible for how your team operates and executes. And you also are responsible for each player's development.
“If you're not developing players — no matter if it's a starter, a free agent, a second round player or third round — you're not doing your job. Kevin Stefanski, bro. That's unacceptable.”
In Newton’s eyes, the Browns would be justified to part ways with Stefanski given his alleged unfair treatment of Sanders. “I'm going to tell you that on national TV,” he concluded.
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“That's a fireable offense for so many other reasons. Because like, what are we doing? You're not developing the guys, right? And you’re putting all your eggs in Dillon Gabriel?”