Jason McCourty reacts to Shedeur Sanders miming answers to media: ‘You’ve got to grow up in the league’
After Shedeur Sanders’ viral session with the media on Wednesday, reaction came in from across the NFL. That includes Super Bowl champion Jason McCourty, who works as an analyst for CBS and ESPN.
Sanders made headlines for appearing to mime answers to reporters Wednesday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the decision was in response to comments made by Rex Ryan. The former New York Jets head coach criticized Sanders on
McCourty, though, said he understands Sanders’ position given the success during his high school and college football careers. But when it comes to playing in the NFL, he cited the need to “grow up” a bit.
“It’s hard for a guy like Shedeur where you’ve been a superstar for the majority of your life and you’ve been the one in the spotlight,” McCourty told Jim Rome. “Now, the media’s showing up in the locker room and the only time they’re coming to talk to you is not about your play. It’s not about something you did on Sunday. It’s more for a reaction of what’s going on around you. The one thing I’ll say is, no team in the NFL wants their third string quarterback to be going viral for anything inside of the locker room. I don’t know what the reasoning is behind him doing the interview and not saying any words and just mouthing. I don’t know if it’s purely, he made a bet with somebody in the locker room and, ‘Look how I handle these interviews.’
“But I think there’s a maturity to it. You’ve got to grow up in the league. You may not always have the circumstances you anticipate or the ones that you want. But I don’t think those are the actions that you want possibly your future starting quarterback in the NFL to have at any point throughout the course of their career.”
Shedeur Sanders’ media session came after the Browns officially named Dillon Gabriel the starting quarterback, benching Joe Flacco. However, Flacco will serve as the primary backup, leaving Sanders as the third-string quarterback on the roster.
Video of Wednesday’s interview made its way around social media quickly. In the aftermath, Schefter said people around the league – not to mention the organization – took notice.
“You’re a quarterback in the NFL,” Schefter said Wednesday on
“And that’s part of learning what you can and can’t do in the National Football League. Other people noticed it, people in his organization noticed it, people outside of the organization noticed it. Yes, he was responding to Rex Ryan. But many people will not know that and that message will get lost by others.”
Eagles WR A.J. Brown Takes ‘Full Accountability’ for Social Media Crash Out
Maybe the Earth really is healing.
Philadelphia Eagles superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown told the media he takes “full accountability” for a postgame social media post following the Eagles’ 31-25 road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4.
The post seemed to indicate, with little interpretation, that Brown was ready to walk away from the Eagles after only having 2 receptions for 7 yards on 9 targets.
It’s the second consecutive year Brown has taken his frustration with not getting the ball to a public forum and second year in a row he’s aired those frustrations during an Eagles winning streak — the defending Super Bowl champions have started the season 4-0 headed into a Week 5 home game against the Denver Broncos.
“Obviously, Sunday after the game I let my frustrations boil over … That’s on me,” Brown said on September 30. “I take full accountability on that … My message on Twitter wasn’t directed at anyone in the building … Like I said, I take full accountability.”
While it’s almost impossible to believe Brown’s tweet wasn’t directed at anyone on the Eagles — players, coaching staff or executives — that’s probably the best apology any of them can hope for at this point.
Brown’s crash out came after the Eagles didn’t complete a single pass in the second half and one week after he had 6 receptions for 109 yards and 1 touchdown in a 33-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw,” the post read. “Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”
Future Hall of Famer Defends Brown From Critics
One Eagles legend came to Brown’s defense when it seemed like the rest of the world was against him.
“He’s being vocal and he’s telling everybody ‘I’m not (expletive) happy I’m not getting the ball right now,’ ” former Eagles center Jason Kelce said on the New Heights podcast on October 1. “Are there better ways to do this than tweeting it out? Potentially. We shouldn’t be just getting the ball to make him happy, we should be getting him the ball because he’s a (expletive) baller.”
Kelce is right about one thing — Brown is a baller and the results of getting him the ball are almost impossible to disagree with.
Brown Expert at Drawing Wrong Type of Attention
Brown signed a 3-year, $96 million contract extension with the Eagles before the 2024 season that kept him among the NFL’s highest paid wide receiver. He’s also been an NFL All-Pro in each of the 3 seasons he’s been in Philadelphia after a trade with the Tennessee Titans before the 2022 season.
The only thing Brown has seemed better at than catching passes the last few years is drawing attention to himself off the field in one way or another — usually something weird or negative.
In 2024, Brown called out quarterback Jalen Hurts after he had just 4 receptions for 43 yards in a Week 14 win over the Carolina Panthers — Philadelphia’s ninth straight victory in a 10-game winning streak.
It later turned out Hurts had been playing with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand.
In 2023, Brown and Hurts had what appeared to be an argument over the same issues.
