Is Shedeur Sanders being held back by the Browns or by his own last name?

Is Shedeur Sanders being held back by the Browns or by his own last name? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

When Shedeur Sanders took the helm as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback recently, it gave fans in the Dawg Pound hope. While merely a fifth-round pick, Sanders' potential and pedigree were enough to believe he could beat the odds and become capable in the pocket. Unfortunately for the QB and Cleveland (3-9), they remain a last-place squad in the AFC North, and they got clubbed by the San Francisco 49ers, 26-8, on Sunday.

For Shedeur, part of his problems stems from his famous father, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. It's widely believed that Shedeur's stock dropped in the 2025 NFL Draft due to his dad's interference in the process. That set a precedent for how he's been viewed by many around the NFL since then. The label of 'spoiled malcontent' hasn't worn off, and Sanders' play has done him no favors when it comes to erasing that image. However, despite his inconsistency, he will return for the third start of his career against the Tennnessee Titans (1-11) in Week 14.

"I'd have to look at it. Obviously, he's battling, like all of our guys are battling," Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stated, according to ESPN. "I know there's plays he wants back, but we'll look at it and correct them."

His inconsistency and lack of leadership were on full display against San Francisco. He went 16-for-25 in passing, with a lowly 149 yards and one touchdown. On the downside, he was sacked three times and his offense looked disorganized; they turned the ball over twice.

Shedeur Sanders' stats speak for themselves

"Obviously we lost, so I ain't play well," Sanders said, regarding the Week 13 loss. "There's definitely things on film I'm going to look back and want to get back and want to see but at least moving forward I know what we could do differently going about the week and being able to get fully, fully prepared for every possibility."

However, Sanders has a statline of 405 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 69.4 QB rating in three career games thus far. Those aren't the numbers of an elite quarterback; they resemble a second-stringer.

Add in his apparent sideline spat with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, and you can see the cracks in Sanders' leadership skills. At the same time, Jeudy isn't actually the messenger that the Browns' need to voice disapproval over the young quarterback. He's isn't a top-line playmaking receiver and even fumbled in the 49ers game himself. Still, the questions over Shedeur Sanders' starting role won't go away, unless he emerges as a star.

It would be easy to blame his father, the Browns organization, or even Jerry Jeudy for his problems. And to be fair, much of Sanders' problems fall on the fact that he plays for a bad team. However, if he's being considered the 'chosen one' in Cleveland, he hasn't repaid that faith yet. Much of what happens the remainder of the season will be evidence as to whether the second-generation player can be counted on as a quality starter, or merely a lifelong back-up.