Shedeur Sanders pushes back on questions about coaching decisions: ‘Those type of things separate us’

The Cleveland Browns dropped to 3-12 on the season following a 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders got off to a hot start, completing his first eight passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. However, two interceptions proved costly: one early in the third quarter, deep in Cleveland territory, led to a Bills field goal. He still had the chance to lead Cleveland to a huge upset, but two sacks and an intentional grounding penalty close to the Browns’ endzone were mistakes they just couldn’t overcome. He finished the day 20 of 29 for 157 yards, one score, and two picks.

Afterward, Sanders met with the media and was asked about the Cleveland coaching staff’s decisions, especially a late fourth-down call to go for it. The rookie, who has been handling pointed and tricky questions all season long, didn’t want to take the bait.

Shedeur Sanders on being asked if the coaching decisions were right vs. the Bills pic.twitter.com/SzCsOAC2mX

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 21, 2025

“I know you can’t be asking me that question, man. Come on, man,” said Sanders with a big grin. “See that’s the thing. If we want to change, if we want to change the narrative, change the franchise, if we want to help, we got to speak.

“Those type of things separate us. A lot of the players get these type of questions, and then we want to be working with y’all. We want to be proactive. But when you ask questions or when questions are asked to us players and it’s like you pinning stuff against each other, it’s like, come on now.

“It’s like being in a locker room. We’re not going to be able to talk to them for real. We’re not going to be able to give them what they need because that separates the team. That don’t help anything. It don’t help anything in any situation, no matter how you answer it.”

Sanders initially struggled a bit to get his point across, but he ended up doing a great job of distilling the feeling he and other Browns players have when they are peppered with questions about the coaching staff and game plan. It’s evident that things aren’t working well in Cleveland, but one area where Sanders can step up is as a leader who doesn’t speak out of turn about his teammates and coaches. And to his credit, he’s stepping into that role, even if he’s been chastised for not doing so along the way.

Who knows what’s next for Sanders and the Browns? It’s been a wild season for the rookie quarterback in many ways, most of which had nothing to do with his play on the field. However, it appears he has matured quickly, especially in handling his relationship with the media. That’s a tremendous skill for an NFL quarterback to master. As for what happens on the field, that’s another story.