” I honestly thinks he’s talking about mobility.” said Shedeur Sanders’ elder brother, Deion Sanders Jr.

“Obviously, the injuries really set him (Garrett Nussmeier) back this year,” Kelly had said on CBS Sports initially. “At the quarterback position, you’re going to get hit. It’s just the nature (of the position). He’s not going to be Shedeur Sanders. He’s not going to run away from contact.”

Although the comment was seen as a fired shot at the 2025 Pro Bowler, Deion thought he was referring to different physical traits and the approaches on the gridiron. However, the poor wording drew the backlash. While the 64-year-old was seemingly praising Shedeur’s elite movement, it came across as if the quarterback was scared of getting hit.

 

Moreover, the strong criticism from the Browns fans and analysts came due to the timing of the comment. Given that the 2026 NFL Draft is only a few days away, it seemed like a deliberate attempt from the former LSU coach to elevate his former QB’s stock at the expense of the Browns’ possible QB1 next season. Garrett spent three college seasons under Kelly, so he has a strong grasp of his strengths and flaws.

Shedeur has lightning-quick feet, which help him outrun defenders and dodge tackles in space. On the other hand, Garrett is a statuesque signal-caller with limited mobility. As a pocket passer, he struggles to create separation when the defenders penetrate.

This glaring weakness was exposed for LSU last season when he played 9 games. Though he logged 1,927 passing yards at 67% success rate, his lack of mobility resulted in a total of 15 sacks. Despite quicker feet, as Kelly indicated, Shedeur wasn’t immune to tackles, as he also had 23 sacks from just 8 games in his debut NFL season.

While his numbers may look rough on the surface, there is a bigger story behind those figures. Shedeur was agile, but his offensive line struggled and failed to protect him last season, ranking among the league’s worst. In pass-blocking efficiency, Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked their offensive line second last (31st) among the 32 teams. Additionally, the unit surrendered 224 total pressures, while the offensive tackles resulted in 143, including 21 sacks.

An improved performance from the offensive line would automatically overhaul the numbers of the 24-year-old. The signing of guard Zion Johnson for $49.5 million from the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason is certainly a major step in the right direction.

After a debatable Pro Bowl selection in the past campaign, Shedeur would love to settle better in his second year in the NFL, but he might have an added quarterback competition from the NFL draft, and it’s not Garrett Nussmeier.

The Browns may add a fourth quarterback through the NFL Draft despite Shedeur Sanders’ presence

Moving into the 2026 season, the Cleveland Browns have three quarterback options in Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillion Gabriel. Although three QBs are already fighting for the starting spot, Browns General Manager Andrew Berry keeps the option open to add another one from the 2026 NFL Draft to make the competition more cutthroat.

The franchise has two first-round picks (6 and 24 overall). With Fernando Mendoza likely heading to Las Vegas, Cleveland is reportedly eyeing for the top prospect quarterback from Alabama Crimson, Ty Simpson.

“Son of a coach, really smart, very driven, he’s physically talented,” said Berry recently in an interview with Pro Football Talk.

Ty’s father, Jason Simpson, has extensive coaching experience in college football, and he is the family friend of the current Browns HC, Todd Monken. The QB previously stated that he would love to play under Monken, making Cleveland a perfect first NFL destination for him. Moreover, the Alabama star also visited the Cleveland Browns recently as part of the 30 pre-draft visits, further fueling the rumor.

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