Browns’ Shedeur Sanders Receives Strong Vote of Confidence From Unexpected Source

Sanders is still the third-string quarterback on the Browns.
'Family Feud' host Steve Harvey recently endorsed Shedeur Sanders to become the Browns' starting quarterback this NFL season.
'Family Feud' host Steve Harvey recently endorsed Shedeur Sanders to become the Browns' starting quarterback this NFL season. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images
In this story:

Shedeur Sanders has yet to suit up for his first NFL game after being named the Browns' third-string quarterback at the beginning of the season, but one high-profile fan is rooting for him to ultimately win the starting job.

Family Feud host and beloved comedian Steve Harvey, who is a self-proclaimed lifelong Browns fan, recently sat down with Ryan Clark to discuss Cleveland's 2025 campaign. Harvey was asked for this thoughts on the Browns' current quarterback situation and went on a comical rant directed at the signal-callers who sit above Sanders on the depth chart, current starter Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

"Joe Flacco will be playing a few games, but his old a-- going to get hurt," Harvey said. "You just can't be 40 and run that fast away from all these people. So Joe Flacco going to get hurt, then we're going to go to this white dude that no one has ever heard of until draft day. ... Why Shedeur lasted this long in the draft is beyond me, but it's okay, they did what they did."

Harvey said he was very impressed by Sanders's performance this past preseason, noting that Sanders was dealt a tough hand in Cleveland's preseason finale when the rookie completed just three of six passes and got sacked five times.

The longtime TV host opined that Sanders deserves an opportunity to start a game amid the Browns' largely unimpressive quarterback room, yet Harvey also thought Cleveland might pull the "dumb" move of trading Sanders in the future.

"So now, we're going to watch this Gabriel boy go out here and panic his a-- off soon as he get thrown in there with the wolves 'cause the real wolves come during the season. ... I am praying to God that Shedeur gets an opportunity to show what he can really do, and I think that would be probably the best thing for him. But, knowing the Cleveland Browns, they dumb a-- going to trade him. They going to trade him away 'cause you know quarterbacks ain't what we do."

Harvey seemed to be very confident about Sanders's natural talent while at the same time ripping off a few jokes at the other Browns quarterbacks' expense. Whether or not you take Harvey seriously, it's clear that he's cheering for Sanders ahead of what's expected to be a long and bumpy journey in the NFL for the heavily scrutinized fifth-round draft pick.

Flacco and the Browns (0-2) will take on the Packers on Sunday, with Sanders yet again watching the action from the bench.


More NFL on Sports Illustrated

feed


Published
Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.