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Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders went viral in the locker room after pantomiming during reporters’ questions, and why exactly he did it has been uncovered.
Sanders was moving his mouth and making hand gestures, but no words were coming out of his mouth as reporters continued to try to get an audible response out of the Browns’ third-string signal caller.
His reasoning? ESPN reported, citing team officials, that comments made by former NFL head coach Rex Ryan earlier this week on the network’s “Get Up” show are why Sanders decided to play games with reporters.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the game at Lincoln Financial Field. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)
“This kid runs his mouth like, ‘I got could be a starting quarterback,’ with his arms crossed like this. Get your a– in the front row and study and do all that. If I know, the whole league knows,” Ryan said on the program. “Quit being an embarrassment that way. You got the talent to be a quarterback. You should be embarrassed that you’re not the quarterback now.”
The miming act from Sanders came after the Browns benched 40-year-old veteran quarterback Joe Flacco for rookie Dillon Gabriel, the Oregon product who was taken two rounds before Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. Head coach Kevin Stefanski made the move before the Browns’ Week 5 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in London.
Gabriel has been Flacco’s backup since the start of the 2025 season, as Stefanski made it clear he showed more than Sanders in the preseason to win the role. Now, after the Browns began 1-3, Stefanski is giving the first crack at earning the starting job to Gabriel.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025. (Peter Casey/Imagn Images)
Sanders got the first preseason start with Gabriel hurt during training camp, going 14-of-23 for 138 yards with two touchdown passes. Sanders wasn’t able to play in the second preseason game due to injury, though he did have some series in the final one.
Gabriel, though, is the only one with regular-season action, having played 10 snaps earlier this season. He went 3-of-4 passing for 19 yards with a touchdown pass in his short time under center.
The Browns make a change as Flacco has thrown for just two touchdowns to six interceptions, while the offense averages 14 points per game. Stefanski wants to see change, and he’s trusting Gabriel to make it happen overseas.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) listens to the national anthem before the game between the Browns and the Los Angeles Rams at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)
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Meanwhile, Flacco will be Gabriel’s backup, while Sanders remains third-string on the Browns’ depth chart.
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