Browns Radio Host Addresses Shedeur Sanders Exchange, Says He Initiated Conversation

ESPN Cleveland reporter Tony Grossi said he initiated the exchange with Shedeur Sanders that led to the Cleveland Browns quarterback calling him out after the Friday press conference following his NFL preseason debut.

A video shared by Deion Sanders Jr.'s Well Off Media showed Sanders telling Grossi, “Tony, I be hoping you got something positive to say about me. You only say negative stuff about me, and I’m like, ‘I ain’t do nothing to you.’”

Grossi said on Monday's episode of The Daily Grossi on ESPN Cleveland that he was "a little surprised" by Sanders' comment.

"I initiated the conversation. He left the podium to walk into the locker room, and I called his name to ask him another question," Grossi said at the 30-second mark of the episode. "That's when we discussed what was on his mind.

"I was a little surprised that he went into that, because as I said— it was inaudible, but I said, 'Hey, this is your night, man. This is a big night for you. Have fun.' But I appreciated the fact that he did not say what was on his mind from the podium, as other quarterbacks have done with me, which was very uncomfortable."

Grossi added that he "didn't appreciate" that the conversation was filmed and posted by Sanders' brother.

"They're documenting everything of his rookie season, and that's fine. I just, now that I'm aware of it, I'll be a little more careful in everything," Grossi said. "But everybody saw the video. It was good-natured."

Grossi continued, "We had a couple of other words in the locker room, too, but it was fine. I was a little bit surprised that, on his big night— and it was a big night for him, considering all the circumstances— that he would raise this... it shouldn't have been that big a deal on his mind, after his big night."

Sanders went 14-for-23 for 138 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Carolina Panthers in his preseason debut.

Sanders was named the starter for the preseason opener amid injuries to quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said before the game that veteran quarterback Joe Flacco would rest while Sanders and Tyler Huntley, who had been signed by the team days prior, would be the only quarterbacks getting snaps.

Sanders ultimately played most of the game, only handing over the ball to Huntley late in the third quarter, as he looked to take advantage of Pickett and Gabriel's limitations to campaign for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Where Sanders will ultimately land on the Browns' depth chart has been the subject of scrutiny ever since the former Colorado standout fell to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Although Colorado head coach Deion Sanders recently said that his son "doesn't get caught up with the rhetoric with the media," it's clear that Sanders has been paying at least some attention to the coverage of his training camp campaign for a roster spot.