Shedeur Sanders’ fall to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft left fans and many analysts/draft experts in shock. While the former Colorado Buffaloes star was projected by many as a first-round pick, he’s proven consistently through his first offseason with the Cleveland Browns that his confidence remains as high as ever.

And days ahead of the Browns’ preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, he sent a blunt message reminding everyone that he’s still the same quarterback who had college football fans tuning in weekly.

Shedeur Sanders Vows That He’s ‘Still the Same Guy’ Who Starred at Colorado

During a recent press segment, a question was posed to Sanders about what he feels he can show in a game setting that he can’t during practice. The  with the Browns quarterback sending a short but straightforward message.

“Have you watched me in college?” Sanders said. “…I’m still the same guy, nothing happened to me.”

Sanders’ comments are a testament to the confidence he has as a quarterback. He’s kept this same approach and mindset throughout college and even after his draft slide to the fifth round.

The comment from Sanders comes around the same time that the Browns released their, which featured him listed as the No. 4 quarterback, behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

However, even with that news and any negativity handed down from critics, the 23-year-old’s mentality and level-headedness remain intact during his first NFL offseason.

Browns Quarterback Battle Remains a Hot-Button Topic, as Shedeur Sanders Impresses

Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns answers questions from the media during a press conference after mandatory minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.
While Kenny Pickett looked primed to push for the Browns’ starting quarterback job, a  leaves the door open for one of the other three quarterbacks to take a stronghold on the competition. Joe Flacco is still the co-favorite in the eyes of most, and the depth chart release highlights that.

Although Sanders is unlikely to have a true chance at starting this season, especially considering the Browns drafted Gabriel two rounds ahead of him, he’s still made plenty of noise during training camp.

On what feels like a daily basis, new clips of Sanders showcasing his skill set during practice surface. One noteworthy clip from  highlighted that while Sanders gets the fewest reps and time playing with the first-string offense, he’s still consistently impressing.

While the practice reps are far from enough to help push Sanders up on the early depth chart, it’ll be interesting to see how the rookie performs during preseason action.

Sanders should see a decent amount of playing time in the Browns’ preseason opener on Friday, August 8, when they travel to Carolina.

first appeared on Men’s Journal on Aug 5, 2025