Shedeur Sanders is keeping his head up after a preseason performance that left much to be desired.
The rookie Browns QB, who fans were at least glad to see in his first home field appearance, was sacked five times and completed just three of his six pass attempts vs. the Rams on Saturday—a big difference from his two-touchdown performance vs. the Panthers about two weeks ago. Head coach Kevin Stefanski also pulled Sanders from the game with two minutes to go.
Even with the rocky preseason finale, however, Sanders understandably believes he still deserves a spot on Cleveland's 53-man roster, which the team will soon be finalizing ahead of Tuesday's deadline.
"Obviously," the young QB said Saturday when asked if he thinks he belongs on this team. "I think, overall, as a player, I've put in the work. I feel like everything I do, I try to do it to my best, and that's all I can ask for. I feel like everybody feels like they should be on the team. If you ask anybody on the team, would they feel like they—they belong in their own eyes. I feel like I do, but I'm my own player. I think about myself in a high regard, of course. It's not my decision."
Watch that answer below:
We really need to stop taking guys out of context for the sake of “engagement”. The Shedeur Sanders one-word quote—“obviously”—went around the internet yesterday, and made him sound cocky and entitled.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 24, 2025
There was a lot more to what he actually said. 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/MXvC5EmINF
Sanders is right to bet on himself; he is a competitive guy, and you have to believe in your abilities to make it in the NFL. Plus, Browns GM Andrew Berry has also suggested that the front office could keep four quarterbacks on its active roster heading into the regular season, so perhaps that was at play, as well.
Despite the tough game, the Browns still eked out a win, 19–17.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shedeur Sanders Explains Why He Should Make Browns’ 53-Man Roster.
