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Is it just a coincidence, or is there something deeper, psychologically speaking, to what happens to Browns coach Kevin Stefanski when he is asked about quarterback Shedeur Sanders? Because it certainly appears that any question about Sanders not only is deflected by Stefanski, but the coach seems to be reluctant to even say Sanders’ name. That was a point brought up by Cleveland sports talker Garrett Bush on Tuesday, speaking on “The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.” It was in response to a quote from Stefanski in which he was asked about Sanders but immediately deflected to responding about, more broadly, young players on the team. Bush was not impressed. “I think it is alarming that he can’t say this dude’s name,” he said. “What he says—specifically about a question about Shedeur Sanders, he pivots to young players. Like, if you ask him a question about Quinshon Judkins, he is going to say Quinshon Judkins. He’s going to say Carson Schwesinger, he is gonna say Dillon Gabriel. He won’t—when he talks about Shedeur Sanders, it’s young players in a vague, general topic.” Shedeur Sanders Question Gets Side-Stepped The quote came from Stefanski’s Monday presser with Browns reporters, when he was specifically asked about owner Jimmy Haslam having said that he expects to see both Gabriel and Sanders on the field this year. Stefanski was asked how far Sanders is from playing. “Yeah, I don’t think it’s fair to speculate,” he said. “We’re committed to getting better as an offense. Dillon is certainly committing to improving every which way he can. And all the while, all of our players, young players, are developing and working so hard behind the scenes to make sure that they’re getting better on a daily basis.” A Sanders question. A vague response. Browns Coach Kevin Stefanski Could Handle Shedeur Sanders Presence Better It’s not the only one. Go through the Browns’ press conference transcripts and, indeed, Stefasnki rarely mentions Sanders by name even when he is asked about him. He would probably do better if he were a little more open in his responses, without being definitive about who’s playing or which quarterback is better. Bill Musgrave, the quarterbacks coach, did just that when he last spoke in a press conference. He was asked about Sanders and, rather than being evasive, said, “He’s working hard and really learning by the day, by the week. He’s doing a nice job of getting the most out of each and every day and feeling more comfortable with the system.” It wouldn’t be hard for Stefanski to take that kind of approach. Browns Dealing With Predictable Problem Still, the way things have played out for the Browns in recent weeks highlights the very reason that Sanders dropped as far as he did in the NFL draft in April. Once the first round passed and no one took Sanders–essentially, no one was ready to commit to him as the No. 1 quarterback–no team wanted to risk taking Sanders and having him as a No. 2. The fear was that putting Sanders on the roster would mean a barrage of questions about whether and when he should play. Because Gabriel is 1-4 as a starter and the Browns offense is horrendous, that’s what Stefanski is dealing with now. His response has been to pretty much pretend that Sanders doesn’t exist when he talks with the media. It’s a difficult situation. But Stefanski’s approach is making it more difficult.
