Former NFL QB accuses Browns of setting Shedeur Sanders up to fail

Former NFL QB accuses Browns of setting Shedeur Sanders up to fail originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cleveland Browns are holding a quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. From the start of the offseason, Watson has seemed to be in the lead.

Sanders has closed the gap a bit, but heading into the preseason he was still a step behind Watson. With Watson starting the first preseason game, and Sanders in Week 2, that feeling grew. But, not everyone felt it was a fair split.

Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III took to Twitter/X, and accused the Browns of setting Watson up to fail with this QB competition. The reason? How Sanders won't be getting to run the first-team offense in the second preseason game like Watson in Week 1.

"I'm convinced the Cleveland Browns never had any intention to start Shedeur Sanders," Griffin writes. "Shedeur starting the 2nd preseason game without the rest of the Browns starters makes zero sense. It's impossible to get a comparable evaluation in a QB competition if Shedeur doesn't get to play with all the starters."

I’m convinced the Cleveland Browns never had any intention to start Shedeur Sanders.

Shedeur starting the 2nd preseason game without the rest of the Browns starters makes zero sense.

It’s impossible to get a comparable evaluation in a QB competition if Shedeur doesn’t get to… pic.twitter.com/oQcmmmCioa

Griffin does make a good point here. If the Browns are truly holding a quarterback competition, it would make sense to split the first-team offense reps this summer.

If the starters are truly not going to play in the second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills for the Browns this summer, then Sanders will get the short end of the stick in this battle.

He'll have to prove his worth with some backups, which is going to be very difficult to accomplish. There's a chance he plays so well this weekend he earns the job, but it's a huge uphill battle to do so, and Griffin believes it was done on purpose.

"Shedeur doesn't have a $230 million fully guaranteed contract," Griffin continued. "It's a business. I get it. But the Browns could have saved the locker room and the fans from a lot of unnecessary noise from the media by just declaring they planned to start Deshaun Watson no matter what."

MORE: Browns' Shedeur Sanders explains bad turnover against Bears

Griffin is frustrated with the Browns over their handling of this quarterback competition, and there is an understandable angle here.

But even if they were going to start Watson this upcoming season, Sanders was surely going to get a chance to play, barring Watson returning to Pro Bowl form.

A similar scenario could've unfolded had Sanders been named the Week 1 starter. Unless he was playing lights-out, Watson likely would've gotten a chance to start mid-season.

At the end of the day, did the Browns really set Sanders up to fail? Not necessarily. Though his road to the starting job is harder, he still can prove himself worthy of the QB1 job this summer.

Did the Browns rig this QB competition? No. Does Sanders have a tougher path? Yes. But at the end of the day, Griffin's accusation is likely a step too far, as Sanders still has a chance to be QB1, even if it might not seem like it from the outside looking in.

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