The Most Disrespected QB in the Draft Is Now QB1 in Cleveland

Well, well, well... guess who's QB1 for the Browns this Friday?

Shedeur Prime Jr. Sanders.

Yes, you heard it right.

According to Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Shedeur will start the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.

Not Joe Flacco. Not Kenny Pickett. Not Dillon Gabriel. Not even Tyler "Snoop" Huntley, who just signed with the team.

It's him. Shedeur. The 5th-round pick. The one they said wasn’t ready. The one they had fourth on the depth chart.

Well guess what? Now he’s first in line. And the spotlight? It's shining bright.

Some folks might say, “Well, he’s the only QB available.”

And to that, I say: Availability is the best ability—period.

The Most Disrespected QB in the 2025 Draft

Let’s call it what it is: Shedeur Sanders was blackballed in this draft.

You don’t drop from a projected Top 5 pick to pick 144 unless there’s something deeper at play.

And please, don’t feed me that “team fit” or “concerns about his preparation” garbage.

Because if those are the standards, then why were guys like Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe, and Dillon Gabriel all taken before him?

Look at the numbers!

• 74% completion rate in the FBS last season — number one.

• 37 touchdowns — second most in the FBS.

• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner.

• Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

• Second-team All-American.

And don’t even get me started on the lack of an offensive line at Colorado. He was running for his life every single Saturday and still put up video-game numbers.

What This Start Really Means

Now, does this mean he’s locked in as the Browns’ regular-season starter? No. But this isn’t just a “let’s see what the kid can do” moment either.

This is a test.

Not just of his talent, but of his poise, leadership, command of the offense, and ability to handle pressure — and don’t forget — in a city starving for something to believe in at the QB position.

Let’s keep it real: Flacco is 40, Pickett is unproven, Gabriel is inconsistent, and Huntley just got here.

So if Shedeur even flashes something on Friday? That noise is going to get real loud, real fast.

The Prime Effect

Oh, and let’s not act like his last name doesn’t carry weight — and pressure.

Shedeur isn't just playing for a job. He’s playing under the shadow of his iconic father, Deion Sanders, who’s been both a blessing and a burden to his journey.

Teams didn’t just draft Shedeur; they drafted Deion’s son. And for some front offices, that was too much. Too loud. Too flashy. Too “untraditional.”

But here’s the thing: Shedeur isn't Deion.

He's his own man. A pocket passer. A film rat. A dude who lives in the weight room.

Confident? Yes. Cocky? Maybe. But unfocused? Absolutely not.

This is a high-IQ, high-character, high-talent quarterback who's already rich, already polished, and already unbothered by your opinions.

Don't Get It Twisted: The Hate is Real

There are people—inside and outside of the league—rooting for Shedeur to fail. 

Period.

Some don’t like the flash. Some don’t like the name. Some don’t like the fact that he’s a young, unapologetically Black quarterback who talks the talk and walks it like he owns the room.

But guess what?

You can't kill a kid with purpose.

Let me say that again: You can't kill a kid with purpose.

Final Word

This Friday, when Shedeur Sanders steps onto that field rocking a Browns uniform, he won’t just be playing for himself. He’ll be playing for every underestimated, overlooked, over-criticized QB who ever had to wait his turn.

And if he balls out?

If he dices up Carolina’s defense like I think he will?

Oh, it’s going to be Prime Time in Cleveland.

So buckle up.