Cleveland Browns icon Joe Thomas sends a direct message to the “Shedeur Sanders cult” after Sanders’ defenders blamed the coaching staff for his struggles during the team’s preseason final game against the Los Angeles Rams. Sanders entered the third quarter of the game and completed three of six passes while taking five sacks for a loss of 41 yards.
Joe Thomas Gives ‘Shedeur Sanders cult’ a Reality Check
During a recent appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me With Dan Dakich,” Thomas gave those fervent Shedeur Sanders defenders a harsh reality check.
For everyone pushing the “Browns are setting @ShedeurSanders up to fail” nonsense — read @MaryKayCabot.
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) August 9, 2025
He’s learning a brand-new offense, mastering NFL pre-snap reads, and the staff is clearly invested in his development.
Sometimes “sabotage” is just you closing your eyes to… pic.twitter.com/G77OaUC586
He laughed off the idea that Sanders would be the immediate savior for the Browns. The six-time All-Pro said he believes in Sanders, but needs a lot of development before becoming the starter for the Browns.
“There’s a lot of nuance in it, which the Shedeur Sanders cult doesn’t have. They just believe that we’re morons for not being able to see that this guy is the greatest thing since sliced bread, the greatest quarterback since Tom Brady, and he’s ready right now to be able to elevate the franchise to their first Super Bowl of all time, and we’re the idiots for not seeing it. I think he has a higher ceiling. He’s a great playmaker, he has tremendous accuracy, he has that feel when he is in the game of how to make those big plays. But just because you have that ceiling that’s really high and that potential to be able to do that doesn’t mean you can do it right now.”
Joe Thomas Via ‘Don’t @ Me With Dan Dakich’
The Pro Football Hall of Famer emphasized there is no plot or whatever to sabotage Sanders.
Browns Depth Chart
The 18-year-old veteran Joe Flacco will remain a starter for the Cleveland Browns, which head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed ahead of the team’s preseason finale against the Rams. Flacco returns to Cleveland for a second stint, having stepped in late during the 2023 season and led the team to a playoff berth.
Meanwhile, rookies Sanders and Gabriel spent training camp vying for the backup role. Gabriel, a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Sanders, selected two rounds later, each showed promise, but Gabriel proved the more consistent option in his two preseason appearances.
Veteran Deshaun Watson remains sidelined after a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 7 last year. In January, the Browns announced that Watson underwent a second surgery to repair the tendon after it re-ruptured during his recovery.
