Fans to Pressure Browns on Shedeur Sanders Decision Amid Legal Drama

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is one of the most popular and polarizing players in the NFL already, and he is only a rookie who has yet to step on the field in a preseason or regular season context.

As such, with as much criticism as he receives, Sanders is more or less equally beloved by a large contingent of Cleveland fans who currently see him as a potentially huge bargain that could end up the future of the franchise.

That type of support is powerful, and Tony Grossi said on ESPN Cleveland earlier this week that he expects those Browns fans to wield that power toward creating opportunities for Sanders this year.

“He’s got such incredible fan support that if he isn’t given opportunities, the Browns are going to hear about that,” Grossi said on Wednesday, June 18. “I think when fans attend training camp, it’ll be obvious that he’s the most popular guy on the team.”

Police Have Given Shedeur Sanders 2 Speeding Tickets in June

That support could prove vital for Sanders given a couple of recent incidents with local law enforcement.

Both issues were simply speeding tickets, and because no one was injured in either incident, the Browns appear to be approaching the tickets as minor distractions. That said, Sanders clocked in at 101 mph in a 60 mph zone on June 17 after already incurring a speeding violation (91 mph in a 65 mph zone) earlier this month.

An NFL player traveling at a triple-digit rate of speed has led to a fatality in the recent past: an incident involving former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs. Ruggs got into a collision with another vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, which resulted in the death of the second driver and a judge sentencing Ruggs to 3-10 years in prison for felony DUI resulting in death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

Given that Ruggs’ sentence came down less than two calendar years ago, it remains fresh in the minds of several people in and around the league.

Shedeur Sanders not in Same Position as QB1 or Top Draft Pick Might Be in Same Situation

Sanders isn’t likely in danger of losing his spot on the roster due to his repeated speeding violations, though Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated explained how and why the 23-year-old QB is hurting his cause.

“He’s a guy who is fighting, not for a starting job, but a job period,” Breer said during a recent hit on Fox Sports’ “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd. “Generally, your tolerance with this sort of stuff with guys who are in that position is far less than it would be with a star player. I don’t think this is the most serious thing in the world, but it is an early test for how he handles it with the team and everything else.”

Cleveland has another rookie QB on the roster in Dillon Gabriel, whom the Browns drafted in the third round, while Sanders came off the board in Round 5. The team also added Joe Flacco in free agency and traded for Kenny Pickett, and thus has no shortage of quarterbacks to whom it can turn if Sanders ultimately doesn’t work out.