The Browns just made a move that could change everything for their rookie quarterback situation – and the Sanders family has some strong opinions about it.
When Cleveland shipped veteran Joe Flacco to their division rivals in Cincinnati this Tuesday, they didn't just trade away a quarterback. They potentially opened the door for Shedeur Sanders to step into his first real opportunity as a backup signal-caller this season. But here's where it gets controversial – his father, NFL legend Deion Sanders, couldn't care less about what happens to the Browns organization.
The trade details tell an interesting story about Cleveland's current quarterback predicament. The Browns sent the 40-year-old Flacco along with a 2026 sixth-round draft selection to the Bengals in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the same year. For Cincinnati, this move addresses their immediate need after Jake Browning's disastrous stretch of three consecutive losses, during which he threw a staggering eight interceptions across four starting appearances, including three picks in their most recent defeat against Detroit.
This roster shuffle creates a fascinating opportunity for Sanders, Cleveland's fifth-round selection from the University of Colorado. Throughout the season's first five games, the rookie has been relegated to emergency third-string duties, watching from the sidelines as the quarterback drama unfolded ahead of him. Now, with Flacco's departure, Sanders could find himself elevated to the backup position behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was selected in the third round from Oregon.
However, the Browns aren't putting all their eggs in one basket. They're also considering promoting Bailey Zappe from their practice squad to handle backup responsibilities. Zappe, who was drafted by New England in the fourth round of 2022 after his college career at Western Kentucky, brings some starting experience with a 4-5 record as a starter. Notably, he was under center for Cleveland's season-ending 35-10 blowout loss to Baltimore in 2024.
And this is the part most people miss – the personal relationships that develop between veteran and rookie quarterbacks often become crucial learning experiences that shape young careers.
Shedeur Sanders opened up about his relationship with Flacco during a Tuesday appearance at a local car dealership, revealing the genuine mentorship that had developed between the two players. "Flacco getting traded, he's definitely somebody I leaned on for wisdom, and I feel like he helped me a lot," Sanders explained to Fox8 News. "He helped me a lot with my time being here in Cleveland, and his time being here in Cleveland, so now everybody has their own destinies and has their own plans they have in life, so I'm just happy for him."
The timing of the trade caught Sanders off guard, happening just six days after Flacco was benched following a disappointing 1-3 record as the starter. Sanders described learning about the move directly from Flacco himself: "Yeah and then he told me, and I'm like, 'Dang, that happened quick.' Like that was crazy."
Their bond had grown throughout the offseason and training camp, with Sanders even attempting to teach the veteran quarterback some modern dance moves. "Joe's the old guy in the room, so I joke with Joe all the time every day I see him," Sanders had previously shared. "I can't tell you all my jokes, but whenever you see them or they're mic'd up or anything, all that stuff is real. It's spur of the moment and then after that, it's time to lock back in. Our minds are always consistently and constantly moving."
But here's where it gets controversial – when reporters asked Deion Sanders about the trade during his Tuesday press conference at Colorado, his response was brutally honest and might raise some eyebrows among Browns fans.
"I don't care," the elder Sanders stated bluntly. "I don't give a darn about the Browns — at all. I care about the Colorado Buffaloes. I do love me some Shedeur Sanders, though, believe that. I care about him. And the rest of that mess, I don't. I'm a coach trying to win games just like they're trying to win games. I could care less who they traded."
This stark declaration reflects Deion's broader philosophy about NFL player development, which he expressed during a recent appearance on the Kelce Brothers' "New Heights" podcast. His criticism of how professional teams handle young talent is particularly pointed: "I've never sat on the bench and said, 'Well, I learned a lot today.' Who learns sitting on the bench? Who does that?"
Deion's guidance to his son has been consistent throughout this process: patience combined with constant readiness. "Be patient and be ready. I don't want you ... they call your name and you ain't ready. We ain't built like that. The Sanders, we ain't built like that. We're always ready. We don't have to get ready. And I want you to be patient. You don't force nothing today that it may not be time."
The Hall of Fame cornerback also hinted at having insider knowledge about his son's future opportunities: "But when it's time, you're gonna know. I said it's coming up. You know, I've got a prediction, I ain't telling anybody. I got a feeling when it's gonna go down, but it's gonna go down, all right? It's going to happen. He's going to get a shot."
Meanwhile, Deion Sanders faces his own significant challenges beyond football. During the same press conference, he revealed he was scheduled for another medical procedure – an aspiration thrombectomy to remove dangerous blood clots from his popliteal and tibial arteries. "I'm going to be all right," he assured reporters as Colorado prepares for their upcoming matchup against Iowa State. "Prayerfully, I'll be right back tomorrow because I don't miss practice. I don't plan on doing such."
This latest procedure adds to Deion's ongoing battle with serious health issues. In 2021, while coaching at Jackson State, blood clots forced doctors to amputate two toes on his left foot. He underwent another clot removal from his right leg in 2023, followed by an additional procedure on his left foot. Most recently, he spent the summer recovering from bladder cancer, a battle that required surgeons to construct a makeshift bladder using a section of his intestine.
Despite these health challenges, Deion has maintained his characteristic optimism and faith. "I trust God with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind," he shared. "I'm going to go in there (surgery), and I'm going to get some of the best sleep in the world for, I think, four hours, the surgery is going to be. I've never been high a day in my life. I've never drank, smoked or anything. But when I get those surgeries, I am there on time."
Interestingly, Deion chose to shield his sons from the details of his health struggles while they were navigating their own professional transitions, including Shilo's brief stint with Tampa Bay before being released.
Given everything on Deion's plate – from his health battles to coaching Colorado – his dismissive attitude toward the Browns' organizational decisions becomes more understandable, though it certainly won't win him any fans in Cleveland.
Here's the question that's dividing football fans: Is Deion Sanders right that sitting on the bench teaches young quarterbacks nothing, or does the traditional apprenticeship model still have value in today's NFL? And should a father's protective instincts override diplomatic relationships with his son's current team?
What do you think – is Deion being a protective father looking out for his son's best interests, or is he being unnecessarily dismissive of an organization that's giving Shedeur an opportunity to develop? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let's debate whether the old-school "pay your dues" mentality still works in modern football!
