Browns' QB Shedeur Sanders shares harsh truth about situation ahead of second start
Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make the second regular-season start of his young career when the 3-8 Browns host the 8-4 San Francisco 49ers this coming Sunday.
While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Sanders suggested he could be one lackluster showing away from potentially falling back down Cleveland's depth chart.
Shedeur Sanders knows that Cleveland starting job "could be taken at any point"
"I'm definitely not comfortable, though, so that's first and foremost that I have another opportunity to go out there," Sanders said about his mindset, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "But in life, you got to understand how quickly things come or how long it comes, it could be taken at any point in time. So I'm never comfortable in a situation I'm in. I always want to exceed expectations, and I always want to grow in each and every week, I would want to put a better product of myself, be a better version of myself for the team to be out there."
Sanders received an opportunity to make his first regular-season start at the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 23 because former Cleveland QB1 Dillon Gabriel wasn't able to clear concussion protocol in time to practice ahead of that game. Versus the Raiders, Sanders completed 11-of-20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 24-10 win.
He also energized his teammates with his confidence and his ability to throw the deep ball. Gabriel went 1-5 as the Browns starter before he missed the Raiders game.
Shedeur Sanders growing more comfortable with additional first-team practice reps
Much was said and written over the past handful of months about how Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski didn't give Sanders first-team practice reps from the start of springtime workouts through the middle of November. Sanders is now spending his second week practicing as Cleveland's QB1.
"Day by day, minute by minute, meeting by meeting, of course," Sanders said about building chemistry with members of the Browns' first-team offense. "I'm getting a little bit more comfortable and comfortable in being in that role, being in that position. They're getting more comfortable with me, also. So I'm excited. I'm happy for it, and I'm just thankful."
It's unclear how Stefanski will handle the Browns' quarterback situation if Sanders plays poorly against the 49ers. Sanders' comments indicate he thinks he could be benched as soon as early next week.
What Roger Federer once claimed was the reason he and Serena Williams enjoyed such long careers
Roger Federer and Serena Williams both enjoyed stunning careers, reaching heights that not many other sportspeople have.
Federer ended his career with 20 Grand Slam titles, third in the men’s all-time list, with Williams second in the women’s list with 23.
They did, of course, achieve so much else in other areas, with their careers not going to be forgotten anytime soon.
And not only were they able to secure huge success, but both Federer and Williams enjoyed extremely lengthy careers.
Why Roger Federer and Serena Williams enjoyed such long careers
Such longevity was indeed referenced at the 2019 US Open, when Federer was asked in a press conference what he attributed to the lengthy careers of himself and WTA star Williams.
The ATP legend replied: “I’m not sure. Look, Serena and me, she started even earlier than I did on the tour.
“She’s also had many more injuries than me and more time off away from the game than I did. We went about it different ways, totally different backgrounds and all that.
“Still I guess you need to be successful, you need to love what you’re doing, find a way to really keep yourself entertained because you go through moments where maybe being away from your home city, village, country, house, whatever it may be, friends, it’s not that fulfilling. You sometimes got to look for ways to keep going.
“I think what’s helped me so much is stability with my relationship with my wife, my relationship with my sister and my parents, then just the friends we were able to keep throughout my career on the road.
“It didn’t make me feel like if ever I came home I had nobody. I always felt like our friends couldn’t wait to come either meet us at the tournaments or wait for us at home.
“That just made time away or at home so much fun. That has helped me a lot. I mean, success has played a big part in Serena’s and my career, for sure.
“Maybe traveling and only winning 50% of the matches on tour, then maybe also we wouldn’t be playing any more.
“But because we know we can still beat the best, win the biggest tournaments, it’s so worthwhile to stay there and see if you can go back to these emotions, see if you can do it at a later stage in your career, and be a totally different person almost, a different player sort of 20 years later. It’s quite exciting actually.”
Roger Federer and Serena Williams both retired in 2022 after stunning careers
As ever, it was a fantastic answer and indeed fantastic attitude from Federer, who admirably gave tennis fans a real insight into his thought process.
He reached the quarterfinals of the US Open that year, having lost the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic earlier in 2019.
That represented his last ever Grand Slam final, with Federer calling time on his career at the 2022 Laver Cup.
He won 103 titles overall, with his fellow legend Williams ending her career at the 2022 US Open with 73 WTA titles to her name.
