The buzz around the Cleveland Browns last summer wasn't about Deshaun Watson’s massive contract or even the veteran presence of Joe Flacco. It was about a fifth-round pick with a legendary last name. When Shedeur Sanders training camp began in July 2025, the air in Berea, Ohio, felt different. Every throw was televised, every handshake was analyzed, and every missed read was a national headline.
People expected the "Prime Effect" to translate instantly. It didn't.
Honestly, the start was kind of a mess. While the media was busy filming his diamond-encrusted watch, the Browns coaching staff, led by then-head coach Kevin Stefanski, was busy scaling back the playbook for him. It’s a detail many fans missed: Shedeur wasn't running the full offense that Dillon Gabriel or Kenny Pickett were during those first few weeks of Shedeur Sanders training camp. He was working with a "condensed" version.
The Slow Burn in Berea
If you look at the raw numbers from those early July sessions, they look great. He was completing nearly 70% of his passes. But there’s a catch. Most of those were against the third-team defense, and many were safe check-downs.
The reality of the Shedeur Sanders training camp experience was that he was buried at QB4 for a long time.
Think about that. A guy who threw for 14,343 yards and 134 touchdowns in college was taking snaps behind Dillon Gabriel. According to reporting from cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, there was a significant gap between Shedeur and the veterans in terms of "grasp of the scheme." He was holding the ball too long. He was used to the "Grown Man" style of play at Colorado where he’d wait for Travis Hunter to get open, but in the NFL, that seven-second clock in your head has to be a two-second clock.
Injuries and the Shoulder Scare
By early August, the narrative shifted from "is he good?" to "is he healthy?"
💡 You might also like: 2025 Fantasy Football Half PPR Rankings: What Most People Get Wrong
On August 2, 2025, the team officially held him out of team drills. They cited "arm soreness," but the local beat reporters were whispering about a shoulder issue. It was a pivotal moment. While Joe Flacco was out there looking like a seasoned pro and Dillon Gabriel was winning over the locker room with his mobility, Shedeur was on the sidelines doing sprints with the wide receivers.
He looked frustrated. You could see it in the way he carried himself.
"I'm always the same, confidence-wise," he’d later tell reporters, but the tape from that month showed a rookie struggling with the transition. He eventually returned, but the missed reps were costly. By the time the preseason games rolled around, he was still fighting for any scrap of first-team participation.
The Turning Point: Why the Shedeur Sanders Training Camp Performance Eventually Mattered
It’s easy to look at his rookie stats—1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions—and say he flopped. But that’s a surface-level take. The foundation for his late-season surge, including that massive win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, was actually laid during those dog days of August.
Despite the "QB4" label, Shedeur was doing extra work. He famously stayed in Cleveland during the bye week, telling the media, "I gotta get ready, BIG ready."
That work ethic is what finally convinced GM Andrew Berry and the staff that he wasn't just a "social media persona." He was a football player.
✨ Don't miss: Grip Straps for Lifting: Why Your Back is Stronger Than Your Hands
The Playbook Evolution
By mid-August, the "condensed" playbook was gone.
- He started hitting Harold Fannin Jr. on deep seams that he wasn't allowed to throw in July.
- His completion percentage against the starters (when he finally got those reps) stayed above 60%.
- He stopped taking the "scout team" sacks that had infuriated Stefanski earlier in the summer.
Most people don't realize how much the Browns' offensive line struggles impacted his development. During training camp, the second and third-string lines were porous. Shedeur was basically running for his life in practice, which ironically prepared him for the regular season when the starters started going down with injuries.
What’s Next for Shedeur in 2026?
We are now looking at a very different landscape. Kevin Stefanski is out. The Browns are heading into the 2026 offseason with the No. 6 overall pick.
Andrew Berry recently refused to commit to Shedeur as the 2026 starter, calling the position "in flux." But let's be real: Shedeur showed enough grit during his seven starts to stay in the conversation. Mock drafts from Sporting News and ESPN already suggest the Browns will skip a QB in the first round and instead grab a weapon like Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson or Ohio State’s Carnell Tate to help Shedeur.
If he wants to be the guy, the 2026 Shedeur Sanders training camp is going to be even more intense than the last one. He won't be the rookie experiment anymore; he'll be the incumbent fighting for his career.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Offseason
If you’re tracking Shedeur’s progress heading into the next cycle, keep these specific indicators in mind. They tell the real story better than any highlight reel:
📖 Related: A qué hora juega el Atlético de Madrid hoy y por qué el horario de La Liga te vuelve loco
- Watch the "Time to Throw" Metric: In the 2025 camp, he was hovering around 3.1 seconds. To succeed in the AFC North, he needs to get that down to 2.6 or 2.7.
- Off-Season Chemistry: Look for reports of him throwing with Jerry Jeudy or potential new draftees in Arizona or Miami. This was a missing piece during his first pro offseason.
- The Weight Room: He played at roughly 215 lbs last year. Reports suggest the Browns want him closer to 225 lbs to withstand the hits he took (he was sacked 42 times in college and that trend followed him to the pros).
- New Coaching Hires: The Browns are interviewing guys like Nate Scheelhaase and Mike McDaniel (who was recently fired). A "quarterback-friendly" system is the only way Shedeur survives a second year in Cleveland.
The "Prime" era in the NFL is currently in a "wait and see" mode. The talent is there, but the consistency has to follow.