What Ben Johnson's Comments Reveal About Shedeur Sanders Reputation in the NFL

The transformation of Shedeur Sanders from a Colorado Buffaloes star into an NFL-ready quarterback has been one of the most compelling storylines of the season. And now, NFL coaches are starting to say out loud what Buffaloes fans insisted throughout his time in Boulder: that he's built for this.

Dec 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Ahead of Cleveland’s matchup with Chicago, Bears coach Ben Johnson offered some of the strongest praise yet for the Browns' rookie starter — praise that perfectly mirrors the traits Shedeur sharpened during his two years at CU.

“Cleveland, in the last three games with the new quarterback, you can feel their offense picking up a little bit,” Johnson said this week. “He’s a dangerous player.”

However, the respect Sanders has earned didn’t materialize overnight. It was crafted through adversity, expectation, and the unforgiving spotlight he navigated as Colorado’s quarterback — and the son of NFL legend, Deion Sanders.

The Colorado Blueprint That Prepared Shedeur for the NFL

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) scrambles for yardage during the 2nd quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

The version of Shedeur Sanders that NFL coaches praise today is the same version Colorado fans saw competing weekly behind an overmatched offensive line, taking hit after hit, yet still delivering NFL-caliber throws.

At Colorado, Shedeur had to learn how to quickly diagnose blitzes, extend plays with improvisation rather than designed movement, absorb pressure without losing composure, and lead an offense with a nearly nonexistent margin for error.

Those traits developed at CU — poise, processing, and creativity — are exactly what Johnson highlighted.

“I think he’s doing a great job as a rookie,” Johnson said. “He was able to sit in and soak up that offense over the course of the spring and summer and early in the season, and you can tell that’s benefited him… now he’s able to go out there and let it loose.”

🔥 Shedeur. A Threat for Bears. HC Johnson on Facing #12 💛

"He's a dangerous player. He's doing a great job as a rookie. He does a great job of extending the play and creating on his own. Last 3 weeks you feel a little bit of a spark with #12 out there" https://t.co/hPWGpf91yt pic.twitter.com/bzp29f2emf
— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth) December 10, 2025

That freedom to let loose on the field was the foundation of Sanders’ success in Colorado. It’s why his college tape impressed so many evaluators, even if the draft didn’t reflect it. And it’s why Cleveland has found itself reinvigorated on offense in his brief time as a starter.

Letting It Rip: How Sanders Recreated His Boulder Magic in Cleveland

Dec 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

As soon as Sanders earned the Browns’ starting role, the offense took on a different identity — one strikingly familiar to anyone who watched him at Colorado.

In Boulder, Sanders was a rhythm and timing passer with deep-ball precision, a late-game maestro, and someone who could manufacture offense when play structure broke down. Over his first three starts in Cleveland, those same traits have already emerged.

“He does a great job of extending the play and creating on his own as well," Johnson said. "The last three weeks, you kind of feel a little bit of a spark there on offense with Shedeur out there.”

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) picks up a first down on his feet ahead of Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray (33) during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 7, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That “spark” was the exact ingredient Sanders provided at Colorado — a belief that no throw was impossible, no moment too big, no deficit out of reach.

And just as he did in Boulder, Sanders has quickly earned the trust of teammates who recognize his calm under fire and ability to elevate those around him. Early in December, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. described Sanders’ command with the kind of respect usually reserved for seasoned vets rather than first-year quarterbacks.

Dec 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) (left) chats with quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

“He’s been great,” Fannin said. “In those huddles, he’s very good with the situation — helping us, talking us through it, really motivating us to go out there and put something together.”

It’s the same leadership Colorado leaned on, the same calm presence that turned broken plays into highlights, and the same competitive personality that made him the heartbeat of the Buffaloes’ program.

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From Boulder to the Big Leagues: A Validation of the Path

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 7, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sanders’ rise in Cleveland is more than a promising start to a rookie season — it’s validation. Validation for Colorado fans who defended him. Validation for his dad, Deion Sanders, who insisted repeatedly that his son could be an NFL quarterback. Validation for the skillset that many draft analysts underestimated.

But most of all, it’s a validation of the development that happened in Boulder.

Everything critics suggested he lacked — pocket awareness, big-stage composure, anticipated layered throwing, the escapability to evade defenders — are the exact traits NFL coach Ben Johnson highlighted as strengths.

For Colorado fans, it’s a deja vu moment. But for the rest of the NFL, it’s a revelation: Sanders isn't just holding his own — he’s reshaping the entire way Cleveland operates on offense.