Why Shedeur Sanders Mimed to Media Reportedly Explained After Viral Video of Rex Ryan

The reason for Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders' decision to mime his responses to the media on Wednesday has reportedly been revealed.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Sanders' actions were a response to former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan criticizing him on Monday.

"This kid talks and he runs his mouth," Ryan said on Get Up. "Like he said, 'I can be a starting quarterback' with his arms crossed like this. Get your ass in the front row and study and do all that. If I know, the whole league knows. Quit being an embarrassment that way. You've got the talent to be the quarterback, you should be. You should be embarrassed that you're not the quarterback now."

On Wednesday, Sanders chose to take a silent approach with his answers.

The Browns officially benched veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in favor of third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel earlier in the day. Sanders, a fifth-round pick by Cleveland in the 2025 NFL draft, remained at No. 3 on the team's depth chart.

Prior to Ryan's comments, Sanders told ESPN Cleveland that he believed he could perform at a higher level than several current starting quarterbacks around the league.

"If you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I'm capable of doing better than that," Sanders said.

The former Colorado standout received extended playing time in the preseason. He threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns in his first appearance, but finished just 3-of-6 for 14 yards while getting sacked five times in his second game.

Sanders has operated on Cleveland's scout team alongside Gabriel and practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe throughout the first month of the regular season (h/t ESPN).

The Browns struggled offensively prior to the change under center, averaging just 279.8 yards and 14.0 points per game through four weeks.

Sanders may receive an opportunity later in the year, but Gabriel will handle starting quarterback duties for now.