Shedeur Sanders wraps up what can be considered one of the oddest and most publicized rookie seasons in recent memory and the statistics will never tell the story of how successful Deion’s son was this season.
The NFL isn’t a video game, although the average fan might really believe these guys are superhuman. There are endless hours of preparation, repetition engagement, testing and communication that goes into building chemistry with a quarterback, an offensive coordinator and the rest of the team.
Randall Cunningham is one of the original dual-threat pioneers in NFL history. In addition to having a laser arm, Cunningham’s legs elevated him to another level not displayed by quarterbacks in NFL history up to that point. Back then, Black quarterbacks were rare. QBs who could run and throw with equal effectiveness were unheard of.
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Cunningham appeared on a recent episode of “All The Smoke” podcast with former NBA stars Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes. The dual-threat legend says he doesn’t understand the narratives that haunted Shedeur’s first season in the NFL.
Randall Cunningham Doesn’t Understand Why Some People Dislike Shedeur Sanders
“Love him, the treatment and everything he’s going through. That’s a lot, and I was so happy he got that victory right here in Vegas,” Cunningham, who stared at UNLV, said. “I like him. I love that kid and I never met him before…I watch him and he really wants to stay calm and get through anything. He doesn’t come off as arrogant or I’m all of that. He is all of that.”
Negative criticism that swirled around him like a madness monsoon. Despite the attacks on his character, his family, his talent and performance, didn’t stop Sanders from proving that he is the one who should have been starting from Week 1. People also forget that his father was battling cancer and other health issues that added pressure and stress.
When Cunningham was first coming up with the Philadelphia Eagles as a consensus first-team college All-American, he would often come in on third-down plays for starter Ron Jaworski. The early criticism surrounded his ability to run the football, and the media would question his intelligence and ability to pass. Eventually he assumed the reins and became a superstar. The offense adjusted to his unprecedented dynamic talents. One of the first of his kind. RC’s Monday Night Football highlight reel was thick, before social media posted every play a million or more times.
Narratives Surrounding Shedeur Sanders Plagued Promising Rookie Season
We don’t have to keep repeating how downtrodden of a franchise Cleveland is. General Manager Andrew Berry has to get some grace and some props for choosing Shedeur when he was nosediving down the draft board and it was clear some form of collusion was in effect. The entire NFL sent him a resounding message that he is the chosen villain. To not draft him at all would be too obvious. Not too many quarterbacks go from projected Top 3, to off the draft board completely in less than a month.
Matt Barnes added:
“Obviously too with him…For some quarterbacks it’s okay to be confident, but his confidence is labeled as arrogance or cockiness, instead of just being confident because he put the work in. He’s media (ready). He’s built for this and it runs people the wrong way which is crazy.”
Sanders proved he was built for the most challenging circumstances. He got thrown into the game late in the third quarter of a fierce battle against the superior Baltimore Ravens and immediately gave his team a chance to win, driving them down the field late for a potential game-tying touchdown, but the receiver wasn’t ready to receive Shedeur’s blessings.
The old school heads in the city of Cleveland aren’t ready either. But anybody else under the age of 45, loves Shedeur and everything he represents. He’s the social media star who can actually ball. He’s the rich kid who paid his dues like any other Black child in America. He did it all season. With humility and grace. The confidence is just a part of him that can’t be changed. The way Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam told the world he didn’t want Shedeur. The way former head coach Kevin Stefanski kept him buried down on the depth chart with no floor team reps
“Of course there’s the stigma of being Sanders and Prime time and all of that and I think that overshadows who he is. He’s a great kid. I watch all of his interviews and everything and I say, ‘I wish I was wise like that.’
The constant dissection of every pass and every play and the social media moshpit throwing salt on the game at every opportunity, refusing to acknowledge the potential Sanders displayed in his seven starts after being rushed into duty as a rookie. All of that and the terrible weather conditions he played most of his seven starts, plus the fact that Cleveland was tanking all season makes his rookie season quite impressive to the trained eye.
Randall Cunningham Says A System Structured To Him As The No. 1 Guy Is All Shedeur Needs To Take Off
In 2026, the Browns will have a new head coach but the quarterback room isn’t clear still. The people want Sheduer. Cunningham says once the team commits to him from the beginning, 100 percent he will become the franchise QB they have needed for decades.
“Once he gets a real opportunity to have all of the weapons around him and defense, and they just say ‘ok we’re just going to go with you’ You’re going to see the same kid you saw in college. The most dynamic player playing QB right now. The kid is really good.”
