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Shedeur Sanders arrived at the Cleveland Browns' offseason training program with a chip on his shoulder.
After a much-hyped college career at Jackson State and Colorado, Sanders' NFL Draft night turned sour as he plummeted to the fifth round, surprising analysts and fans who expected him to go much earlier.
Now a rookie in a crowded Browns quarterback room, Sanders is determined to maximize his opportunity and rewrite the narrative.
The Browns currently have four quarterbacks competing for time, including veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders himself. And while the headlines may be dominated by Sanders, the coaching staff's attention is a bit more nuanced.
Browns quietly giving Dillon Gabriel a leg up while Sanders starts at the bottom
According to longtime Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot, while Sanders garners most of the buzz from fans and media, it's actually third-round pick Dillon Gabriel who is receiving more operational focus from the team's coaching staff during OTAs.
"The Browns are also very, very excited about Dillon Gabriel, their third-round pick," Cabot said, per Cleveland.com. "And then the way it played out yesterday, is the way that I thought it would, is that Shedeur right now is the fourth-team quarterback."
Cabot further clarified the situation, noting that despite the enthusiasm over Sanders' potential, he has yet to earn meaningful reps in team drills.
"He did not take any team reps yesterday," she added. "Sometimes there's misinformation that comes out of an OTA like that, but he just did not take any team reps... but they're making him come up the learning curve and earn his way."
This "earn it" approach is not unfamiliar territory for Sanders, who has frequently had to prove his worth despite high expectations. Whether overcoming early skepticism at Jackson State or thriving in Deion Sanders' headline-making program at Colorado, Shedeur has often risen to the challenge when counted out.
Despite working with the fourth team, Sanders made the most of limited opportunities during Wednesday's session, finishing with three touchdowns on nine attempts and only two incompletions.