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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is firmly in the mix to start Week 1.

Deion Sanders is not pretending his son’s rookie season with the Cleveland Browns was perfect. But he also made it clear he does not view Shedeur Sanders’ first year as a one-man evaluation.

Sanders, who coached Shedeur at Jackson State and Colorado, said he would have liked to see more from the Browns quarterback last season. But he pushed back on the idea that a young quarterback’s production can be separated from everything around him.

“I would have wanted him to perform a little better, but that’s not just an individual thing, that’s a team thing,” Sanders told Covers while speaking on behalf of his partnership with Depend. “A quarterback needs help tremendously from the offensive line, from the receivers, from the running game, from the coordinators as well.

“It’s not just a singular thing, like a defensive back. I don’t care what the pass rush is, (the DB) has got to do his job. It’s a little different with a quarterback. He needs several things to go right for him to be successful.”

Shedeur went 3-4 as a starter last season, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The flashes were there, but so were the growing pains for a rookie quarterback taking over a team that finished 5-12.

Deion Sanders Weighs in on Browns Trade of Myles Garrett

Deion also did not take issue with the Browns’ blockbuster trade of Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, a move that changed the direction of the franchise.

“I’m not there, so I don’t know all the intangibles that provoked that trade,” Sanders said. “I’m happy with what they got, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.”

Cleveland landed Jared Verse as the centerpiece of the Garrett trade, giving the defense a young, high-end pass-rusher to build around after moving on from one of the best players in franchise history. The Browns also added a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.

Those picks could be used to go after a franchise quarterback if Sanders or Watson do not look like long-term options after this season.

Shedeur Sanders Still Fighting Deshaun Watson for Browns QB Job

The Browns have not handed Shedeur anything heading into his second season. Sanders gained ground during the offseason program and drew praise from Cleveland’s coaching staff for his development. But he remains locked in a quarterback battle with Deshaun Watson, who is entering the final year of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract and trying to revive his career after missing all of last season following two Achilles surgeries.

Browns head coach Todd Monken said after minicamp that Cleveland will go into training camp without a defined starter.

“We’ll start off all camp just like we’ve been doing,” Monken said. “We’ll alternate those guys.”

Monken made it clear he would have preferred to have the competition settled by now. But the Browns are not there yet.

“I just think he’s doing a better job,” Monken said of Sanders. “I think he’s being more decisive. Now, it’s easy to say we’re not in pads. It just feels like he’s making quicker decisions. The ball’s coming out of his hands, which he’s gonna have to do.”

Shedeur Sanders Focused on Learning New Browns Playbook

Monken said the Browns need to see the quarterbacks once the pads come on, especially with the offensive line and pressure becoming a bigger part of the evaluation.

“There’s still a lot to see — quarterbacks and the O-line, especially once we put the pads on,” Monken said.

Sanders has focused less on where he stands and more on learning Monken’s system, building chemistry and showing the coaching staff he can run the offense.

“Y’all look at it as like a competition,” Sanders said. “It’s not really nothing I’m just focused on. I’m focused on developing as a player, like doing everything, getting as comfortable as I can in the offense and the scheme and playing with that confidence I had.”

The Browns are on break until the end of July, when they’ll gather for training camp and the quarterback situation will take its next step.

J.R. DeGroote Browns beat writer for Heavy.com. Covering the NFL and NBA since 2019. ASU Cronkite grad. More about J.R. DeGroote