awfulannouncing
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is poised to make his first start of the season on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, stepping in for Deshaun Watson, who was placed in concussion protocol following a helmet-to-helmet hit in last weekend's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That defeat dropped the Browns to 5-3 and allowed the Steelers to take over first place in the AFC North.
Sanders, now in his second season with Cleveland after being selected in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, recently hired Adie von Gontard, CEO of Young Money APAA Sports, as his agent, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The move sparked speculation that Sanders might be positioning himself for a trade out of Cleveland, especially given Watson's strong start to the season, which has solidified the veteran's hold on the starting job.
During Wednesday's media availability, an NFL reporter asked Sanders about his decision to seek representation mid-season. Sanders took issue with the question, challenging its relevance to the upcoming matchup against New Orleans.
"What that got to do with this game?" Sanders asked. "I'm focused on this game. Anything else really don't matter at this point."
While hiring an agent during the season doesn't directly relate to Sunday's game, it remains a fair question for a quarterback—especially ahead of what could be a career-altering start. It's equally fair for Sanders to want to keep his focus on preparing for the Saints, though he might have benefited from handling the situation with more tact.
Sanders, who had a somewhat contentious relationship with the Cleveland media during his rookie season, made his stance on the media clear during training camp. "I don't think there's anything negative about it, but I don't really like when people have platforms and don't use it for the right reasons," Sanders told Kevin Clark regarding media criticism of NFL quarterbacks. "I don't respect it. So, it's like, things I don't respect, I don't give my time to."
The young quarterback has been proactive about trying to improve his relationship with the media this season, but at times just can't seem to get out of his own way.
Originally reported by awfulannouncing.