Veteran NFL agent weighs in on Shedeur Sanders' status with Browns amid recent controversy, QB changes

The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Jacksonville Jaguars, and will hope to continue their good form. Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes ask if the Chiefs’ "light show" will make an appearance next week, and if Shedeur Sanders should’v...

Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is currently in quarterback purgatory with the Cleveland Browns. But a top NFL quarterback agent believes there's still hope for his career as a starter. 

Sanders' teammate and fellow rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been named the Browns' starting quarterback, with the team trading veteran Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. 

Sanders, now the team's second-stringer behind Gabriel, prompted mixed media attention last week when he was asked about Gabriel being named the starter. Sanders responded by silently mouthing words without speaking, like a mime. 

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, front, walks off the field after the NFL football team's rookie minicamp in Berea, Ohio, Saturday, May 10, 2025.  (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Agent Leigh Steinberg, who has represented a record eight No. 1 overall draft picks, suggested he believes Sanders' response was a product of competitive frustration. 

"I thought he was fine with the answer," Steinberg told Fox News Digital. "It's unrealistic to expect players to be thrilled and delighted with a backup situation." 

Still, Steinberg would have hoped Sanders would give a more substantial answer if the rookie was his client. 

"I think realistically the answer would be in two parts. Number one, ‘Obviously, I’m anxious to be a starter in this league, and I think that's my destiny, but for the meantime, I'll do anything I can to