Former NFL head coach Bruce Arians is not a fan of Shedeur Sanders being given so much face time with the media.
Earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns announced that they were making a change at quarterback. Sanders’ fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel got the nod to replace veteran Joe Flacco as the team’s primary signal caller.
Sanders later joked around with reporters after the news was announced. He pretended to be a mime as the press tried to get his thoughts on the decision, which was hardly unexpected since Gabriel had always been listed as QB2 before the lineup change.
On Friday, Arians appeared on the “Up & Adams” show and was asked to weigh in on Sanders’ playful stunt. The two-time Coach of the Year did not mince words in expressing his disapproval of Sanders’ interview.
“Why is the third quarterback getting interviews?” Arians told Adams. “He had nothing to do with the game. It’s all for media clicks. He’s a heck of a personality. But the personality can’t come out until you do something on the field. It’s a big week for Dillon Gabriel and a big week for the Browns, making that transition. For him to be available to the press, I don’t know why he’s doing it.”
Arians placed some of the blame on the Browns’ public relations team, which he believes should not be allowing the media to have direct access to Shedeur during such a situation.
It’s easy to understand Arians’ frustration. Sanders has arguably been the most talked-about third-string QB in the history of the game. The man has yet to throw a pass in the NFL, and yet he gets more national media attention than most starters around the league.
Gabriel had a much more diplomatic answer when asked about the silent Sanders media scrum. The Oregon alum artfully dodged the question with some commonplace platitudes about being one as a team.
