Andrew Berry REACTS To Sheduer Sanders QB1 NEWS..
The Shift: Sanders Elevated to QB1
The key development is the final decision by the coaching staff:
Sanders is QB1: Veteran reporter Mary Kay Cabot ultimately confirmed that Shadur Sanders is approved as the Browns starting quarterback (QB1).
Expanded Reps: Head Coach Kevin Stefanski authorized Sanders to take expanded first-team reps starting the next month, solidifying his status and signaling the end of the debate.
Talent Acknowledged: Cabot, who had previously shown skepticism, now acknowledges Sanders’ advanced understanding of the offense and high football IQ, noting his ability to process defenses and execute the system at full speed. This confirmed what his supporters had been saying all along.
The Internal Power Struggle Exposed
The months-long resistance to playing Sanders put Kevin Stefanski on the “hot seat,” with Vegas sportsbooks listing him as the fourth highest odds of any head coach to be fired (at plus 650). This pressure drove the internal conflict:
Faction
Stance
Action & Rationale
GM Andrew Barry
Acceleration
Frustrated by the conservative play and stalled offense under Dylan Gabriel, Barry was reportedly prepared to move on from Stefanski if he refused to elevate Sanders, signaling a clear push for an “accelerated” transition.
HC Kevin Stefanski
Resistance
Doubling down on his plan and prioritizing “continuity” by keeping Dylan Gabriel ahead of Sanders. This was seen as an “assertion of control” and adherence to a rigid timeline, despite fan demand and the offensive unit’s limited explosiveness.
The “Anti-Sanders” Narrative
Part of the reason for the resistance was the existence of a widespread narrative that Sanders was not “ready” and that his draft stock was inflated by his family name.
Coded Critiques: Analysts nitpicked his mechanics while discussing his peers’ flaws “politely, if at all.” The criticism often arrived as coded doubts about his coachability or his reliance on the “family brand.”
The Fifth-Round Disregard: Despite Sanders’ documented meticulous preparation (running live routes in full game gear on a private field in Texas well before camp) and his experience engineering game-winning drives in college, he was treated as a developmental “leftover.”
Draft Politics: Some speculated that the league’s “gatekeepers” tried to “teach him and his father a lesson” for their pre-draft comments, contributing to his fall to the fifth round and leading to the Browns’ owner being cited as the key figure who went “against the grain” to draft him.
Ultimately, the on-field evidence, the internal pressure from players, and the risk to the coaching staff’s job security forced Stefanski to pivot from rigid adherence to his plan and acknowledge Sanders’ readiness.
