The Bengal’s star quarterback, Joe Burrow, holds rookie Shedeur Sanders in high regard. His post-game message for Sanders reaffirmed that.

After losing to the Browns 18-20, Burrow walked up to Sanders and shared that he enjoys watching him play. “You’re fun to watch. Look forward to watching you next year,” Burrow told the 23-year-old as he hugged him.

In a media session before the Week 18 game, Burrow shared that he’s been following Sanders’ games since his college days. He opined that Sanders has been unfairly scrutinized, and yet he has handled the pressure and media well.

“I thought he made a lot of plays. I thought he could throw it,” Burrow said. 

“And he knows how to handle the media, knows how to handle the spotlight. Certainly under the microscope more than any other fifth-round pick that’s ever been in the history of football.”

He further added that Sanders is a good player and doesn’t pretend to be someone he’s not.

“He says most of the right things in the media. He is who he is, he’s himself. That’s what you want out of a football player. So he seems to be handling it the right way.”

In the eight games he has appeared after his first game in Week 11 against the Ravens, Sanders threw seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions for 1,400 yards. His pass completion percentage stands at 56.6. 

Is Sanders’ treatment and criticism wrong and misplaced

Nobody is sure. His performance and the team have garnered him polarising opioids from experts and fans.

While some truly believe the fifth-round pick has done his best in a team like the Browns, others came at him for struggling to record the stats he did. 

As the Browns are undergoing major internal evaluation and rebuilding, many spectators have voted that Sanders should neither be the starting quarterback nor the focal point of the franchise. 

And yet, Sanders is backed by legends whose voices carry more weight. Veteran player Aaron Rodgers shared he, too, had been keeping up with Sanders’ career and said he found it similar to his initial days.

That was before their Week 17 game. In a post-game interaction, Rodgers hugged Sanders and told him, “Good job man. Proud of you. Happy for you, man.”  

If the league’s biggest names are rallying their support behind Sanders, do they see something in him that many are missing? He is a rookie who showed some great potential despite being caught up in a dysfunctional team.

So, will next year be different for him and the team? And will Sanders give his off-field allies a tough time in futures matchups? 

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu