Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw three interceptions against the Bears.
Coming off a three-interception outing, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders delivered a blunt assessment of his future as the starter.
The fifth-round rookie threw for 177 yards in a miserable afternoon for both Sanders and a Browns team that unraveled in every phase. Chicago rolled to a 31-3 rout as Cleveland’s offensive struggles, defensive lapses and miscues piled up.
Two of Sanders’ interceptions were the result of his own mistakes, with Bears defenders making strong plays on the ball. The third, however, came on a perfectly placed end-zone throw that hit wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the chest before bouncing into the hands of Chicago cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
The Browns announced earlier in the week that Sanders will start for the remainder of the season. But he finds little solace in that “security.”
“You know what league we’re in?” Sanders said. “You can lose your job at any point in time. So you don’t play with fear. When you live and play in fear, then you’ll never be yourself. So I don’t play or live in fear.
“Whatever situation I’m in, I’m in. Whatever happens, it happens. But I live each moment and try to live each day in the fullest. So never live and worry or fear.”
Part of the reason Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has remained committed to Sanders is the rookie’s work ethic and willingness to improve. After the loss, Stefanski stopped short of addressing whether Sanders could be a long-term answer in Cleveland, but he did voice continued support for his quarterback.
“I’m obviously thinking about just this game and those type of things,” Stefanski said. “He’s a young player that’s making progress, like we’ve talked about all week. I see it in games. I get to see it in practice. There’s going to be ups and downs to young players, particularly the quarterback position. So we’ll learn from it, and we’ll be better next week.”
Sanders acknowledged that every week is a learning experience and credited the Bears’ defense.
“They had a great defensive scheme, and I enjoyed playing against them,” Sanders said. “I enjoyed playing in that because it was definitely a little challenge, so I look forward to learning from that and look forward to understanding exactly how things were on film.”
Sanders is a polarizing figure, and veteran defenders have shown little hesitation in taking shots at the former Colorado star. Last week, the Tennessee Titans defense mocked Sanders’ signature celebration after forcing a turnover. This week, Chicago Bears defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson said he was more than happy to “teach” the rookie a lesson.
“It’s about time he ran into some problems,” Gardner-Johnson said. “He’s a great young player. They’re a great young group that’s playing hard, physical. He’s just going against a lot of vets that have something to play for.
“Sometimes you gotta teach a rookie how to stay in a rookie’s place.”
Sanders and the Browns face the Buffalo Bills at home next week. Cleveland closes out the season with matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
