Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders made an impressive NFL debut on Friday night.
Sure, it was a preseason game. He nevertheless went from fourth string to starter — and he embraced the opportunity.
His performance prompted an immediate Nike ad. “Only a matter of time,” it said, via Pat Benson of SI.com
Time will tell where it goes from here. For now, it’s clear he shouldn’t have fallen to pick No. 144. He fell because, we were told in the aftermath of the draft, he treated the process as if he were being recruited, not as if he were being interviewed.
And that exposes a very real flaw in the apparatus. While it wasn’t particularly wise for the Browns to take Sanders two rounds after selecting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Sanders was available because the league’s collective how-dare-you attitude caused him to slip and to slip, and to slip.
Yes, it’s important for teams to think a quarterback will take the job seriously. But Sanders isn’t like other quarterbacks whose perceived nonchalance when interacting with teams means he’ll be nonchalant when it’s time to practice and to play.
In 2014, then-rookie Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel learned on a Tuesday that he’d be starting on Sunday. Instead of buckling down and preparing, he went to the Cavs game.
Shedeur Sanders wouldn’t do that. If/when he gets a chance to start for the Browns, he’ll be ready.
Whether and when he gets that chance depends on whether he’ll build on his Week 1 preseason performance. On Saturday, the Browns face the Eagles. He’ll surely play, if not start.
And if he checks the box again, more momentum will build toward Sanders earning the chance to play in a game that counts.
The haters will continue to dismiss his performance in the preseason. As we explained on Monday’s PFT Live, Sanders showed instinctive traits that will serve him well during regular-season games. Sliding in the pocket. Running away from pressure. Displaying fearlessness by throwing the ball just before taking an inevitable hit.
It’s easy for some to root against Shedeur. He’s easy to root for, too. His success will become an unintended repudiation of the not-so-subtle message that teams send to incoming players. A cautionary tale for future teams that get miffed when a player doesn’t assume the position and say “thank you sir, may I have another?” during the endless “interview” process that culminates in teams getting dibs on players, with players having little or no control over where the Sorting Hat sends them.
And who knows? Maybe after years of bungling the most important position on the field, the Browns may have accidentally stumbled into a player who will become the long-term answer.
