Kevin Stefanksi Gets Called out by Analyst for Not Giving Shedeur Sanders a Chance To “Redeem Himself”

The Cleveland Browns HC, Kevin Stefanski, ranked Colorado Buffaloes product Shedeur Sanders at the fourth position in the depth chart.

Kevin Stefanksi Gets Called out by Analyst for Not Giving Shedeur Sanders a Chance To “Redeem Himself”

Kevin Stefanski and Shedeur Sanders (Image via Getty/Dawgs By Nature)

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The Cleveland Browns headed into their third preseason week looking for a perfect record, and they did just that. The Browns dropped 19-17 on the Los Angeles Rams to secure their third win and maintain a solid record heading into the season.

The Browns, who have a tight quarterback room, explored four of their six quarterbacks against the Rams. The team experimented with Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, and Tyler Huntley. Among the four, the fans as well as the media were expected to see Sanders in action once again after being held out for Week 2.

The Colorado Buffaloes product shone in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers before an oblique injury limited him in their second preseason game.

Despite huge anticipation, Sanders spent the first half on the sideline as Flacco and Gabriel commanded Cleveland’s offense. Both quarterbacks impressed, combining for 200 passing yards and a touchdown apiece.

Sanders finally got his chance in the third quarter, but the outing quickly turned frustrating. Across five drives, he was sacked five times and managed only 14 yards on 3-of-6 passing. Whether the lingering oblique issue limited him remained unclear, but the execution fell short of expectations.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski appeared to share that assessment, pulling Sanders from the game with just two minutes remaining, replacing him with Huntley. Later, Stefanski admitted that the player wasn’t pulled for any health reasons. The move has come under fire from critics and fans, who have blamed Stefanski and the Browns management for their mishandling of the player.

Emory Hunt, a panelist on the CBS broadcast, rained down heavily on Stefanski for not allowing Sanders to redeem himself after the disastrous opening.

At the end of the day, you’ve got to give this kid a shot to redeem himself. That’s the beauty of being a rookie. Kevin Stefanksi handled this whole situation, the quarterback situation, horribly… I blame Stefanksi for how he’s handled this whole situation. It doesn’t look like Coach of the Year leadership to me.

Emory Hunt said

The quarterback room and the whole rotation have been embroiled in drama since the draft, as the management took on five quarterbacks through the draft and otherwise to replace the injured Deshaun Watson. There were even scenarios that hinted at a potential rift between two of those rookies who are now fighting for a place on the roster, as well as backup.

Shedeur Sanders might need to free himself of the Browns

The rookie quarterback out of Colorado program is currently at a huge disadvantage in Cleveland under the leadership of Kevin Stefanski. Or so Skip Bayless thinks. Following the Cleveland Browns’ preseason finale, Bayless once again urged Sanders to leave the franchise, arguing that his talent is being wasted in Kevin Stefanski’s system.

Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders (image via SI)

Bayless didn’t mince words in his critique of the Browns’ handling of Sanders.

Shedeur has to go elsewhere. The only way to get free of this situation is to free Shedeur from Cleveland. Free him. It’s either for them to cut him, or them to practice squad him and some other team, somebody out there. They go sign him off of the practice squad.

Skip Bayless said in a video on X

Bayless feels that it isn’t about one poor outing or the growing pains of a rookie quarterback, but it’s about systemic failure. He believes that the Browns have already shown they have no genuine interest in making Sanders their long-term option, despite spending a draft pick to secure him.

The analyst also blasted Stefanski’s coaching staff, accusing them of not giving Sanders “something to work with” and that “it’s excruciating to watch what they are trying to do to Shedeur.”

Even with reports suggesting that Cleveland may carry four quarterbacks into the regular season, Bayless remained convinced that Sanders risks being buried on the depth chart or relegated to the practice squad. Bayless expressed that this would be a waste of his talent.

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