Former NFL safety Ryan Clark has blasted Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns for their handling of Shedeur Sanders.
The Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and have been the team’s third-string quarterback. However, after Cleveland traded Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, it opened up the door for Sanders to be the backup.
Despite that, Stefanski has yet to confirm Sanders is the backup. Instead, he didn’t rule out the possibility of Bailey Zappe being the backup. If Zappe ends up being the backup, Clark believes Cleveland needs to trade Sanders.
“Whatever Kevin Stefanski says is fair because it’s Kevin Stefanski’s team, and it’s his process,” Clark said on First Take. “I also think it’s extremely obvious that Kevin Stefanski doesn’t mess with Shedeur Sanders the way the outside public believes he should. If you think about this process, it feels like Kevin Stefanski wasn’t ready to draft him, and then, upon drafting him, wasn’t ready to handle the person.”
Clark believes Stefanski didn’t want Sanders drafted and now doesn’t know how to handle him. But the former NFL star thinks Sanders deserves better and should be named the backup.
Clark won Super Bowl XLIII with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was a Pro Bowler in 2011.
Clark Urges Browns To Trade Sanders
Not only does Clark think Stefanski never wanted Sanders, but he also believes the team should trade the quarterback.
If Zappe is named the backup, Clark believes that should signal the end of Sanders in Cleveland, and the Browns should move him.
“You are going to have questions asked about him, which is why you need answers prepared,” Clark said. “If he is still figuring it out, which he should be, which he is, give them a reason why. Give them a Shedeur Sanders reason why. Give them a Bailey Zappe reason why. Don’t give them an excuse.
“I’m in full agreement. If he is not named the backup quarterback, it’s time to part ways,” Clark added. “It’s time to trade him, it’s time to get him out of the locker room because clearly your plan for development is to not develop Shedeur Sanders as a future starter of your team. Too much comes with him if you don’t see that sort of plan for him.”
Sanders has been inactive every week as the third-string emergency quarterback, and it appears that will remain the case in Week 6.
Stefanski Not Naming Backup QB
Following the Flacco trade, the big question in Cleveland was who would be the backup quarterback.
Yet, Stefanski said he’s still working through it and isn’t thinking about who the backup quarterback will be.
“Still working through all roster types of things,” Stefanski said on Oct. 8. “I always have to be mindful of our players, and our players development and I want to make sure that I’m always doing what’s best for our players and, of course, our team.
“But with young players, I’m always thinking about last week, making the change to Dillon (Gabriel),” Stefanki added. “You have to think long and hard about that, because these are young players that you’re so invested in their development. So, I’ll let the week play out and make a decision later on.”
If Zappe is going to be the backup, he’d have to be promoted to the active roster from the practice squad or signed to the active roster.
Stefanski Claims Cleveland is ‘Very Invested’ in Development
Although Clark called out Stefanski for not developing Sanders, the coach claimed that it isn’t true.
Stefanski said the Browns are focused on player development with not just Sanders but everyone on the roster.
“Again, I wouldn’t say there’s one thing you need to see,” Stefanski said. “In my role, I have to do what’s best for our players, our team, and I’m very, very invested in our player development, our young players development, our quarterback development. So, any decision I make, I want to just make sure that I’m doing what’s right for our players.”
The Browns will play the Steelers in Week 6.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Former NFL Star Calls Out Browns For Handling Of Shedeur Sanders appeared first on Heavy Sports.