The battle surrounding Shedeur Sanders seems never-ending. First, he had to fight the media narrative to make it into the NFL. Then, he had to prove his critics wrong. After that came the battle for the QB1 spot, which he won, only to find himself back at square one following the return of Deshaun Watson. While the criticism has often been loud, the young quarterback has received support along the way. And the latest endorsement comes from former Super Bowl champion Leonard Fournette.

“He never said anything to hurt his relationship with the players, with the coaches,” Leonard Fournette said on the 4th And South Podcast. “He did, I believe, what a QB1 should do. He stood there. All the crazy questions, he answered them respectfully, and some questions he said, ‘Man, like come on, man. Why would you do that? Why would you ask me that, knowing it can jeopardize my relationship with the Cleveland Browns, with my head coach?

“Even when he’s drafted, should he have been a sixth-round pick or a fifth-round pick? Hell no. Second round, third round, I think he deserved that. He shouldn’t have even gone that low. So, for them, to treat him how they’re treating him, it’s just an embarrassment.”

Sanders’ 2024 season statistics, including 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdown passes, made him a top prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the Cleveland Browns selected him in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick. The steep slide came after anonymous reports and sports commentators portrayed Shedeur as arrogant or difficult to coach. One report, which did not cite a source, claimed that he “wore headphones around his neck with music playing throughout the entire interview.”

NFL insider Tom Pelissero cited an anonymous NFL assistant who described Sanders’ interview as “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in my life.” However, when Sanders arrived in Berea, he was nothing but friendly with the media. He answered all of their questions, and even when he preferred not to respond, he did so politely and without any harsh comments.

But the targeting was not limited to Sanders alone, as it often extended to his family, including his father, Deion Sanders. In fact, the criticism became so widespread that the father even had to address it on The Barbershop podcast, where he defended his sons, Shilo Sanders and Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders, who was known as Prime Time during his playing days, believes that not everyone appreciated his larger-than-life persona. He received significant criticism throughout his career, some of which appears to have carried over to Shedeur as well.

“Ninety-nine percent of hatred is towards Pops,” Shedeur told the reporters last year. “I’m just his son, so it really just comes from him, and I told him that. It’s the older generation that does it to me rather than the younger people. When I come in person, there’s no negativity I see, but it’s all over online.”

Not only that, but Shedeur’s play has also been the subject of considerable criticism. Scouts and football media observers had said that the 24-year-old held onto the ball for too long and retreated too deep into the backfield, exposing himself to unnecessary risks. Some have even argued that while his athleticism is good, it is not elite.

But if you think about it, much of the criticism he faces stems from his upbringing within his father’s circle of famous football figures. On top of that, there is his NIL success as well. It was almost inevitable that his draft prospects would be judged through a different lens than those of other quarterbacks.

As a result, his confident personality, a blend of traits inherited from both his mother, Pilar Sanders, and his father, Deion Sanders, drew additional scrutiny, with some even questioning the camera crew that frequently followed him.

But boy, did he make sure to shut the critics up!

Shedeur Sanders cuts through the noise

Despite the criticism, he performed quite well in his rookie season, recording 1,400 passing yards and seven touchdown passes in seven starts while earning a Pro Bowl nod. While many believe he rides on his father’s fame and influence, he has shown that he is much more than that.

He became the first Browns quarterback since Derek Anderson in 2007 to earn a Pro Bowl. Moreover, he finished the season with a 3-4 record while the Browns finished with five wins.

Just like last season, he is in active competition for the QB1 position, but this time, Deshaun Watson is back. However, the media seems to have started favoring Watson to become the starter. 

While the on-field success is one thing, there has been success off the field, too. According to the NFL Players Association’s annual filing, Shedeur Sanders’ company, SS2Legendary LLC, received $17,712,015 through group licensing arrangements involving trading cards, merchandise, appearances, and other player-marketing opportunities. But wait, that is not all.

That figure is nearly double Tom Brady’s previous single-season record of $9.5 million in 2021.

So, Sanders did not have a smooth road even after landing an NFL deal. But it seems things are changing, as he took first-team snaps in the latest OTA. It remains to be seen how things go for him in the upcoming days.