Shedeur Sanders, Myles Garrett Share Hilarious Preseason Exchange vs. Panthers

The Cleveland Browns and their fans got just about everything they would have wanted to see in their first preseason game ahead of the 2025 NFL year. Unfortunately, their ongoing quarterback competition was interrupted, with fourth-year veteran Kenny Pickett and third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel injuring their hamstrings earlier in training camp.

Due to their conditions, both players were held out of the Browns' first preseason clash against the Carolina Panthers. With former Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco also inactive — likely due to his status as the favorite to be the Week 1 starter and his advanced age and experience — Cleveland's 144th-overall pick Shedeur Sanders got the start.

He wound up playing nearly three quarters and racked up 138 yards on 14-of-23 passing, throwing two touchdowns over nine full drives. Needless to say, this was a very encouraging performance from the fifth-round pick and should make Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski seriously consider bumping Sanders up the depth chart. Stefanski might want to temper the excitement building around Sanders, but it's clear that he has the support of the fanbase, and even star edge rusher Myles Garrett.

Myles Garrett, Shedeur Sanders, NFL, Cleveland Browns, training camp — Jul 26, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) talks to quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

"Mic'd up" Myles Garrett caught humbling rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders

With the Colorado Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders wasn't exactly a mobile quarterback. Instead, he preferred to make plays with his arm, although he did rush four times for 19 yards in his debut against the Carolina Panthers.

Ultimately, the Cleveland Browns will likely want him to find receivers from the pocket more often than not, but he has enough athleticism and escapability to extend plays and even take off on his own when needed. In college, he gained notoriety for dancing around in the backfield, especially with his trademark spin move, before throwing to a target downfield.

Against Carolina, he had a play where he was able to evade two Panthers, linebacker Nic Scourton and defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy, with back-to-back spins before scrambling for a short gain. Following the drive, Sanders found EDGE Myles Garrett on the sideline and asked him if the spin move would work on him. Garrett was quick to let his rookie know that it wouldn't:

"No. It worked today. It was good s*** today. It won't work on me, though."

"You did that s*** back to back, too."

A funny interaction then turned into a nice teaching moment between a veteran and a young teammate. Sanders showed his curiosity for the game by asking Garrett what he would look at if he were chasing the quarterback in the backfield. The star defender demonstrated the IQ and humility that make him one of the best players in the NFL, stating that he'd focus on containing the QB and sending him back towards the rest of the defense.

Myles had to be honest with him 😂@crosscountrymtg | @ShedeurSanders pic.twitter.com/wJtks3uhJH
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 11, 2025

Their conversation quickly went back to comedy, though, when Sanders stated that he wants to see what it'd be like to take on one of Garrett's "swipes." With a smirk, Garrett quickly shut down that notion from his rookie:

"No, you don't... you're a good kid, I don't want to have to hurt you, bro."

As Shedeur Sanders continues to progress, he'll undoubtedly garner more reps against Myles Garrett and the rest of the Browns' first-team defense. There's no better way for the young quarterback to improve quickly than to sharpen his iron against perhaps the NFL's top defender.