CLEVELAND, Ohio — Enough finger wagging. Stop the football-splaining. After four months of being reminded to calm down about rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, I think Browns fans have gotten the point.
Yes, Sanders ranks fourth on the depth chart behind fellow Dillon Gabriel. It’s true that the Browns picked him 144th overall, and that players drafted late usually wait awhile before starting games.
And? Fans know the facts. But they’re also allowed to get excited about a passer with swag and a smooth throwing motion.
Hand up: This column was written by a hypocrite. I’ve done my fair share of fan scolding since Sanders arrived. My rationale: Every pass he throws spawns an overreaction. Every word he speaks is over scrutinized. Somebody needs to sprinkle reality on top of the Sanders hype machine.
I still think that’s true. Just like I still believe Cleveland did Dillon Gabriel dirty by drafting Sanders alongside him. And I still believe a dose of reality would help this fanbase process its quarterback competition.
But in reviewing these takes this week, it occurred to me: you sound old as heck, man. And while I do turn 30 in a few months, I can still have fun. Or, at the very least, I can quit telling other people not to.
Reason is reserved for philosophers. Fans (short for “fanatics”) should watch football with passion. And Sanders has unlocked plenty in a football town that lost its soul last season.
Watching Deshaun Watson sail incompletions last season was depressing enough. But the real crying occurs when you realize the Browns can’t escape his cap-crippling contract. Trading for Watson has already hindered three seasons of a strong core’s prime. And as of this writing, his contract will count $80 million against Cleveland’s cap during the 2026 season.
The only loophole available is finding a young, cheap, competent quarterback. We don’t yet know if Sanders checks every box, but fans see hope in his right shoulder. They found joy watching Sanders’ Week 1 preseason performance against the Carolina Panthers. They deserved it.
Football’s small wins make a big difference after a 3-14 season. And after one playoff win in three decades, you learn to treasure every triumph. Are fans silly for salivating over Sanders’ pair of touchdown passes against backup defenses last week? Or are they just starved for competence at the position?
I’d argue that local Sanders zealotry is rooted in Watson’s failure. Or the Baker Mayfield trade, or the Johnny Manziel draft whiff. We could keep going. Forty quarterbacks (and counting) have started for the Browns since 1999. Amid this slew of failed experiments, any show of promise piques curpeiosity.
Honestly, I respect the perseverance. Plenty of fan bases would’ve abandoned hope by now. But the Dawg Pound keeps looking for reasons to believe.
Why shout them down? I say let fans flex their wrists like Sanders after a first down scramble. Let them project the future off of one preseason game. Let the Dogs bark.
They’re not hurting anybody. In fact, they’re filling their role. Blocking out “noise” is a player’s job. Reporters are supposed to see through it. All fans have to do is make some, and Sanders helps them get loud.
Cleveland knows where he was drafted. They understand his place on the depth chart. And I’ve already told them where history paints Sanders’ odds for success.
But they don’t care. They believe in him. And I, for one, have already wagged enough fingers for one offseason.
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