Shedale Sanders made a notable impression on his preseason debut, and afterward, he had a little exchange with one of his critics.
The son of legendary NFL quarterback Deion Sanders showcased his abilities on Friday night, throwing for 138 yards and two touchdowns during a 30-10 victory over the Panthers.
A video later surfaced on YouTube, posted by Deion Sanders Jr., capturing a moment where Shedale confronts ESPN’s Tony Grossi inside Bank of America Stadium.
Despite being the fifth pick in the draft, he managed to keep the conversation friendly but made his feelings clear.
“Tony, I hope you’ve got something positive to say about me,” Sanders remarked. “You seem to focus on the negative, and honestly, I’m not out to get you.”
Grossi’s reply was somewhat off-the-cuff, as he attempted to explain his perspective.
“Honestly, I’m not paying attention to what you’ve been saying,” Sanders quipped as he left with a laugh. “What am I going to do to you, Tony?”
Interestingly, Grossi later praised Sanders on ESPN Cleveland. “I thought Shedale was outstanding,” he stated on air. He also mentioned in writing that Shedale’s impressive debut had put pressure on quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel to step up in the following week.
However, Grossi has been critical of Sanders throughout the beginning of training camp. Recently, he raised questions about why the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year missed practice due to arm discomfort.
This sparked a reaction from Tony Rizzo on his radio show, where he expressed strong opinions on the matter. Given the challenges he faced as a potential first-round pick now being drafted in the fifth round, Sanders is clearly looking to leverage this performance to enhance his standing with the Browns.
