Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders' focus on 'right now,' not possible future in Cleveland

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BEREA, Ohio — Shedeur Sanders is still learning to decipher NFL defenses, recognize coverages and make much smarter decisions.

He can already read the room.

The rookie quarterback’s path to starting for the Browns has been curious and circuitous, to say the least. But just because he’s currently atop the depth chart, and will stay there the rest of this season, Sanders isn’t stationary or satisfied.

Coming off the best performance of his young career, leading to coach Kevin Stefanski naming him the starter for the final four games, Sanders said before Wednesday’s practice he’s not concerned with whether he has shown Cleveland enough to end its long search for a franchise QB.

He’s staying in the moment.

“That’s not in my focus,” Sanders said. “My focus right now is the team we’re playing ahead, the Bears. So anything past that I’m not really focused on, honestly. I’m thankful for it, but I’m not content with my situation with everything.”

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The former Colorado star has come a long way since tumbling to the fifth round of this year’s draft. The 23-year-old was fourth string throughout training camp and the preseason before two trades and rookie Dillon Gabriel‘s concussion catapulted Sanders.

In just his third pro start on Sunday, Sanders threw three touchdown passes, ran for a score and finished with 364 yards against Tennessee. He joined Joe Burrow as the only rookie QBs in league history with at least 350 yards passing, three TDs and a rushing TD in a game.

The performance became a footnote as the Browns (3-10) came up short in an embarrassing 31-29 loss to the two-win Titans (2-11) and their rookie QB, Cam Ward.

Following the game, Sanders caught up on the field with Ward, last year’s No. 1 pick who pressed him on his plans for the upcoming offseason.

Unlike Ward, Sanders can’t afford to think that far ahead.

“This is my life here. So we on two different spectrums right now,” Sanders said. “I got to focus on playing my best and being the best player I can for the team. And obviously the situations are different. I know he puts his all into these games and these final four games, but it’s just a little bit different because you don’t know what could happen.

“I just go here, enjoy my day, work hard, do everything I can. If I’m here, I’m here. If I’m not, I’m not. It’s nothing in my control. I try to control what I can control — going out there, making the right reads. Going out there, doing the right things, being the person I am and things will fall how they’re supposed to.”

Things rarely go as planned in Cleveland, but Sanders is giving the Browns some hope in another rotten season.

He’s shown significant improvement each game, whether connecting on a downfield throw or firing the ball out of bounds to avoid a sack.

That’s not to say he’s been perfect.

In the third quarter last week, Sanders, who since college has had a bad habit of holding the ball too long, tried to create something out of nothing. It cost him.

Scrambling to buy time after the protection broke down, Sanders forced a pass down the middle that was easily intercepted by the Titans. The turnover set up Tennessee’s go-ahead score and set the stage for the Titan’s win.

It was another tough lesson for Sanders, who said changing his ways isn’t problematic.

“Not hard. It just took a little explaining,” he said, flashing a knowing smile. “It’s a negative thing to happen for me to just slow down. I look at everything and I understand, OK, this is what I was trying to do, and in this situation, this that’s what you should do.

“And sometimes it go your way, then they’ll be like, ‘that was lit’ and sometimes it don’t. So you got to limit those that wasn’t the best risk in certain situations, certain times of the game.”

This week presents another tough test for Sanders, who will face a Chicago defense on Sunday leading the league with 18 interceptions.

Stefanski, whose future could hinge on how the Browns play in December, has been pleased with his QB’s steady progress.

“In terms of a light turning on, those type of things, I just think he’s committed to getting better every single week,” he said. “And that’s what you want.”

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