Deion Sanders Reflects on Shedeur's NFL Rookie Season, Says 'A Quarterback Needs Help'

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders suggested his son, Shedeur Sanders, didn't have a great supporting cast during his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns.

"I would have wanted him to perform a little better, but that's not just an individual thing, that's a team thing. A quarterback needs help tremendously from the offensive line, from the receivers, from the running game, from the coordinators as well," he told DJ Siddiqi of Covers. "It's not just a singular thing, like a defensive back. I don't care what the pass rush is, (the DB) has got to do his job. It's a little different with a quarterback. He needs several things to go right for him to be successful."

Yes, the Browns lacked talent on the offensive side of the ball last season. But Sanders was poor himself, throwing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight games (seven starts) while taking 23 sacks and completing just 56.6 percent of his passes.

The Browns have operated with Deshaun Watson and Sanders splitting first-time reps during organized team activities this offseason. Given how poor Watson has been during his time in Cleveland, the pair splitting first-team snaps is an indication that the Browns aren't completely sold on Sanders as a viable starter just yet.

Perhaps Sanders will win the job and take a major step forward in 2026. For all of his struggles, he was still an upgrade over Dillon Gabriel last season. But he needs to take pretty big strides and he'll have less excuses after the Browns focused heavily on wide receiver and the offensive line at the draft.