Shedeur Sanders Explains Mindset Ahead of 2nd NFL Season Amid Browns QB Battle vs. Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders says the biggest change in his mindset between his first and second NFL seasons has been his ability to ignore negativity.

"I would say just really understanding what really matters in this world and what doesn't," Sanders told ESPN's Kevin Clark in a Wednesday appearance on This is Football. "That's what I say really, really, really changed, to every single little thing. That's what I cracked down on."

Sanders continued, "Just turn on the TV, you'll be able to see it... I don't think there's anything negative about it, but I just don't like— I don't really like when people have platforms and don't use it for the right seasons, I don't respect.

"So, things I don't respect, I don't give my time to... everything possibly negative in my life, I remove."

New Browns head coach Todd Monken has yet to confirm whether it will be Sanders or Deshaun Watson starting when his team kicks off the regular season Sept. 13 at the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Sanders finished out his rookie 2025 season as the Browns' starter, while Watson is looking to see his first NFL action since the 2024 campaign after recovering from multiple tears of his Achilles tendon.

NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported Tuesday Monken wanted either Sanders or Watson to "make it clear who is the guy with their play."

"He's been very impressed with Shedeur Sanders over the past four months and how he's grown, particularly with his operation," Wolfe said about Monken's thoughts on the quarterback battle. "But he still has some room to go.

"He said, his challenge for Shedeur: get in and out of the huddle a little cleaner, be a little faster with your decision-making."

Sanders and Watson are currently alternating days working with the Browns' top offensive unit, per The Athletic's Zac Jackson. Whether Sanders can display the growth Monken is looking for during those opportunities could ultimately impact whether it's him taking the field next month against the Jaguars.