CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders took questions from reporters on Thursday with regard to his oblique injury, playing Saturday versus the Los Angeles Rams, Dillon Gabriel’s quote, and more.
Below is the transcript as provided by the Browns media relations department:
How did it feel to just get back out there after having to kind of sit around a little bit and not be able to do everything you know previously could?
“It felt fun. Felt fun to get out there, be with the team going into the final week. I don’t know, it’s weird. Like, (it’s) considered training camp still. Well, I would just say preseason because on the film breakdown, I know it says training camp, so I’ll say preseason. All right, so final week of preseason. It’s a lot because I know it’s a lot of relationships with a lot of guys in the building and a lot of guys in the locker room that we all may never play on the same team again. And that’s just the truth behind it. So I did everything in my power, you know, to get out there and be ready for this week, you know, one last time with this group.”
How is that oblique injury doing?
“I’m feeling good. Yeah, everything’s good. In life, it’s always going to be pain. It’s always going to be things, adversity, things that’s going to knock you down sometimes. But the main thing about it is you just gotta push through it. A lot of people in this world going through stuff, but you know, I’m playing for a lot more than just me, you know, so regardless of pain, that’s always how I’ve been. Even in college, you know, so in high school and in everything from when I was young. Regards of like physically, you know, if I don’t feel my best, I still gotta go out there and execute with no excuses.”
How do you hope to build on what you did against the Panthers in this outing on Saturday?
“I say it’s honestly just going out there playing ball. I don’t really think too deep of it. I think about one completion at the time, one right play call at the time, the right way to do the footwork when we’re handing the ball off, doing everything. So every day it is just constant grading yourself and trying to have progress.”
Obviously Joe (Flacco) was named the starter for week one earlier in the week and Kevin (Stefanski) said that as it pertains to the rest of the depth chart, you know, all these roles are not given out, but earned. What is kind of your mentality and your mindset as you enter the season knowing you’re going to be a backup but still be prepared?
“Yeah. I would say I’m thankful that (Tyler) Huntley here, I would say, because he gave me a perspective of quarterback that I feel like I needed, you know, that I needed. I feel like him being here overall. The fact that (Tyler) Huntley here, he able toI feel like God sent him here for a reason, honestly, just to talk and to be like a guy, be like a mentor toward me and his career also. But being in that backup role, you know, he faced that also, you know, in his career and he just gave me the mentality on what I need to do and how I need to stay on top of everything. Just, you know, just helping me out throughout everything.”
What were some of the perspectives that he gave you?
“It’s even some things I forgot. I have been starting so long, ever since the COVID year, you know, I haven’t really not started since COVID year, and I ran scout team there. And then sometimes you gotta find the joy and the fun in it because it is fun. You’re going out there against the first defense and you are out there with a tip, you know, you playing with guys, you playing with receivers, just trying to get out there also. So I feel like all that stuff is fun and you just gotta make the best of any situation you’re in.”
Shedeur, what’s the process, your strategy, to take some of the things that you liked from that first preseason game into the reps that you get in this last one and some of the things you learned too?
“I would say, I’m just going on there on my ability and God’s ability, you know, I don’t think anything too deep on what I did last preseason. You know, it’s a 24-hour rule. Or I say 12-hour rule now, you know, so I go 12 hours, I feel happy. Then let’s go back to work, you know, so that’s mainly my focus.”
You talked about it not feeling like training camp so much anymore as you kind of reflect on…
“Well, not. Here, it’s just the language be different. So, I don’t know what phase we’re in. I just know we practice every day.”
But as you kind of reflect on your first training camp, obviously your first preseason experience, I know you got another game coming up, but what is the biggest things that you’ve learned, biggest things that you’ve maybe gotten better at you feel like throughout this portion of the preseason?
“I would say I learned life in a different perspective, you know, and that’s why I come here, I’m happy I always got good energy because I’m blessed to come out here every day, regardless the situation, regardless of anything. You know, I know my time, whenever that is, I’ll be ready for it, and I’m going to embrace that. But in due time, you know, I got many things I need to fix, many things I need to work on, and I’m not oblivious to that. So all I look at as is I’m getting more time to cook, I’m getting more time to warm up, you know, that’s all it is.”
You said you feel like you’re playing for more than you. What are you playing for?
“It’s a lot, you know, when we get on the field, it’s a lot of happiness going on throughout there, you know, you just feel free. And we always just talk and have this conversation. But I ain’t going lie, it’s a lot, a lot of things I’m playing for. Specifically, I had to write it down. But it’s a lot of things, and there’s none above the others, so I never want to say which one first, but it’s a lot of things I’m playing for.”
Hey, Shedeur, in that preseason game last week, Dillon (Gabriel) was interviewed, and he talked about the difference between entertainers and competitors. He called himself a competitor. Some people construed that as a shot at you. How did you take that?
“Honestly, I don’t even think about nothing. I don’t think about anything. Words or anything, you know, at this point, can’t do anything to me. I know that God put the ability and the power within me to not even think about nobody else’s comments, not care. It is what it is. I spoke with him, he said, “Nah, bro, that wasn’t”. He told me on the plane. He came up to me, he was like, “Nah, bro, that wasn’t at you, I see how they’re trying to spin it.” I’m not tripping. Regardless of whatever it was, I don’t…Nobody’s words or anything affects me.”
So, did you believe him when he told you it wasn’t on you?
“Did I believe him? I mean, I feel like you trying to start stuff now. I feel like you trying to start stuff. Do I feel like he did? I don’t know. And that’s not on me to sit here and be like, ‘Oh, he did. He didn’t.’ That’s not going to change my life in any way.”
What’s it been like to work with him? This camp, this preseason?
“It’s great competition. Every day you go out there, get a completion and just how it is for everybody else in the room.”
Shedeur, going back to your comment about how you’re looking at it like you have more time to cook. What do you think is important for you? And like you said, you haven’t not been a starter in so long, how are you just embracing this challenge?
“Because it’s like, I feel like I’ve been through this already before. You know, it was a COVID year at Jackson State. I wasn’t eligible to play because I graduated early. My purpose was to go in there and just do everything I can on scout team each and every day. So that’s my reflection. That’s how I’m able to get through any situation. Anything that life, you know, throws at me or whatever I’m going through is because I feel like I’ve done it in a similar form. And I like when it’s positive things going on. I don’t like to be negative. Because I know everybody works hard. A lot of people work hard. Life is hard. So who am I to complain when you sit back and you think of everything in the grand scheme of things, you know, So I don’t even really try to even get down. And whenever I even feel a little bit down, I just constantly remind myself, like, you know, you can’t be feeling that way.”
You know that positive mindset, right? So, do you, though, also feel like you have things to prove?
“Do I feel like I have things to prove? Of course. I’m playing for happiness, I’m playing for the fans, the family, for everybody, for this organization that drafted me. So, it’s a lot of things I’m playing for. That’s it.”
You said there’s a lot that you’re playing for? Is the number two role still something that Kevin (Stefanski) has had as an attainable goal for you? Is the number two role still up for grabs? You guys still competing for that number two role? Number two role, like number two string quarterback – backup.
“Oh, honestly, bro, I really don’t look into that. I don’t care. Whenever it’s time for me to get out there and play, I’mma play. Whenever it’s time for the lights to come on, I’m gonna do my thing. I’m not concerned about when it is. I’m not concerned about, you know, how many reps I’m getting at this point, it is what it is because I know when the lights come on, when everything going, when the pressure’s on, you know who I am and I’ll always be that way.”
Shedeur, you’ve been talking a lot about pre-draft, talking about the biggest weapon for a quarterback is there is their mind. I think people will talk about Joe (Flacco) and say, man, “How’s he still doing this at 40 physically,” but what kind of weapon is it, can his mind be for this team? The way he processes all of his experience, all that.
“I think the mind is extremely powerful. I think everything’s a decision. I think you could wake up each and every day and decide if you gonna have a positive day or you gonna have a negative day. I think you can wake up every day and regardless of any circumstance you’re in, I feel like you could choose how your day is gonna be, choose your mentality, choose how you feel about certain people, choose if you feel like getting up and doing it every day, you have a choice. So I feel like that mental’s extremely strong and it’s. It’s the most important thing. That’s why, you know, it’d be. People wear caps and stuff when we out there playing football to protect the mind and everything. So of course I’m never gonna wear a cap, though. But anyways I just think the mind’s extremely important and it’s just about perspective, however you look at life.”
Shedeur, in that last game, and then every day that we’ve watched you out here in practice, your elite accuracy has been on display. Would you feel like, do you feel like that’s kind of been your superpower in this competition and, you know, are you proud of the way that you brought that here? We’ve seen it obviously, in college, but you brought that here to this level and it’s held up against great competition.
“Yeah, I think, I think my abilities are my abilities. When God decides to take it away from me, that’s the decision. But I think, you know, versus anybody, I, you know, I always pick me. So at this point, it’s just. It’s about induced time. You know, whenever it’s my time.”
It’ll be your first time playing in Huntington Bank Field. Obviously, the Browns fans traveled in that first game, but what are you looking forward to most playing in front of the home crowd, in front of the Dawg Pound?
“I’m very excited. I want to do. And I didn’t even say this, but I wanted to get every. I wanted to find a way to get a lot of the high schools free tickets, a lot of the kids, middle schools, everybody free tickets to come to the game. I don’t know how I’m gonna do that. I don’t know anything. I didn’t talk to anybody about this, but, like, I just always had, like, instant thoughts and I’m like, “Dang, that’ll be cool, if we could do it.” But I didn’t talk to anybody about that yet, so I hope I don’t, you know. But I think it’s gonna be fun. I think it’s gonna be electric atmosphere. I’m excited for it. Everything. Everybody. I know a lot of us will be playing in the game, so I’m just excited to be out there and get out there. I’m excited for the new DT96 cleats that would be out there that day.”
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