Shedeur Sanders says the gap between how he is seen online and how he comes across in person is the thing he wants people to understand most. In a wide-ranging interview with Cosmopolitan conducted earlier this summer, the Cleveland Browns backup quarterback addressed his public perception directly, saying strangers who meet him tend to walk away with a different impression than the one shaped by social media.
“I wish people understood me more as a human being,” Sanders told the magazine. “I don’t think a lot of people really know me. I’m just now starting to understand that. You hear a lot of things online, but every encounter I have in person, people end up saying, ‘Oh, wow, he’s actually a great guy.’ Why would you think I’m a bad guy?”
Shedeur Sanders Public Perception: QB Opens Up
Sanders told Cosmopolitan he lives in his own world and cannot remember the last time he checked social media chatter about his play, Cleveland’s quarterback situation or football in general. That detachment comes during a stretch in which Sanders has largely stayed out of the spotlight, with the Browns off to a 3-1 start behind starter Deshaun Watson.
The quieter backdrop stands in contrast to the attention that followed Sanders through the 2025 NFL Draft, when his brother streamed much of the family’s draft party. That broadcast captured Sanders’ raw reaction to being passed over for Louisville’s Tyler Shough at No. 40 overall, along with a prank call impersonating then-New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. Reports at the time pointed to Sanders sandbagging certain interviews, skipping throwing at the combine and his overall handling of the pre-draft process as factors in his slide to the fifth round.
Sanders Points To His Father’s Fame
Asked about the source of the criticism, Sanders attributed roughly 99 percent of it to his father, Colorado coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He said the hostility tends to come from an older generation that watched his father play, not from younger fans who grew up without that frame of reference.
“I’m just his son, but (the kids) didn’t grow up in an era to where they watched him play,” Sanders said. “It’s just the older generation that does it to me rather than the younger people. Because when I come in person, there’s no negativity I see. But it’s all over online.”
His Role In Cleveland’s Quarterback Room
On the field, Sanders is working from a thinner résumé than the attention around him might suggest. As a rookie last season, he completed 120 of 212 passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions across eight games. This season he has appeared in two games, including a single pass attempt against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3.
The Browns’ depth chart currently lists Watson as the starter, Sanders as the backup and rookie Taylen Green third. That picture shifted slightly this week when Cleveland designated fellow quarterback Dillon Gabriel to return to practice from injured reserve, where he had landed with a back injury during final roster cuts on Aug. 30. The Browns now have a 21-day window to activate Gabriel, a third-round pick in 2025 who completed 59.5% of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions over 10 rookie appearances.
Trade Speculation Persists Without Momentum
With four quarterbacks on the roster, reports indicate the Browns would consider moving Sanders or Gabriel for the right return, though nothing appears close ahead of next month’s NFL trade deadline. ESPN personality Tony Grossi said any trade would require demand that does not currently exist around the league.
“First of all, there has got to be a demand, and though there are teams that are a little short at quarterback, there seems like there is a lull right now. Teams are waiting to see what they’ve got, the Giants and Jameis Winston, how long can they continue with Winston?” Grossi said.
He added, “But there doesn’t seem to be something on the verge of happening around the league at that position let alone with Shedeur Sanders. I don’t expect him to be traded.”
What’s Next
Cleveland sits atop the AFC North at 3-1 after Watson led the team past the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving Sanders in a reserve role as the Browns navigate Gabriel’s return window and the approaching trade deadline next month.
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