Shedeur Sanders 'Not Looking Too Far into the Future,' Talks Development with Browns

Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders is "not looking too far into the future" as he tries to impress the coaching staff this offseason.

The first-year quarterback told reporters Tuesday he's taking his on-field development day by day and wants to make the incremental improvements that collectively add up over time:

From the outside, it looks as though Sanders is making a good first impression for himself in Berea, Ohio. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees spoke highly of him last week:

According to ESPN's Kimberley A. Martin, some within the organization believe the former Colorado standout "has a path" to become the starter.

Still, it's important to keep expectations in check.

Alex Kay of Bleacher Report picked Kenny Pickett to win the Browns' QB battle, while Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab gave Joe Flacco a slight edge. When it came to Sanders, both writers were highly skeptical of his chances. They cited how rare it is for a player, especially a rookie, to basically go from fourth to first in the depth chart in one offseason.

At the end of the day, this is a player who fell to the fifth round of the draft and was the second quarterback picked by his own team. Along the same lines, making great throws in OTAs doesn't mean somebody is ready to become QB1.

It may not be the best thing for Sanders' long-term development to throw him out there in Week 1, either.

Lest Browns fans recall the brief tenure of DeShone Kizer. A second-round pick in 2017, Kizer went 0-15 and threw an NFL-high 22 interceptions as a rookie. He never started another game after his first year.

Being patient is something that will serve Sanders well because it's easy to picture Cleveland cycling through multiple quarterbacks in 2025. As long as he continues to put in the work, his time may come down the road.