Fans think Shedeur Sanders is being set up to fail after brutal cut decisions as Browns coach responds to ‘sabotage’ claims

Shedeur Sanders has survived the first wave of roster cuts.

The rookie quarterback, who arrived on the Cleveland Browns as the 144th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, was perhaps holding his breath after a horror preseason performance.

Having impressed in his debut earlier this month, reality came crashing through the offensive line on Saturday.

Sanders had an afternoon to forget against the Los Angeles Rams, and looked a typical fifth-round NFL rookie in five series during the second half.

He went 3/6, passing for 14 yards as he managed only one first down.

The 23-year-old was also sacked five times, and lost 24 yards as he dropped back on one of those plays.

But despite struggling against the Rams, Sanders survived the first wave of Cleveland’s roster cuts.

Some of those who were blocking for him on Saturday, though, weren’t so lucky.

The Browns have cut 21 players, terminating the contracts of four of them, while waiving 17 others.

That move has reduced the roster from the maximum of 90 to 69, ahead of the 53-man Tuesday deadline.

Center Bucky Williams, tackle Sebastian Gutierrez, and guards Javion Cohen and Dartanyan Tinsley, who all blocked for Sanders against the Rams, have been cut.

Sanders ‘done dirty’ by Browns preseason decision

While the quarterback survived, some fans have been quick to suggest he was ‘set up to fail’ by the Browns with a poor O-line.

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“Shedeur was done dirty this week,” one said, responding to news of the Browns’ releases.

“Clear unwinnable situation,” another said.

“What a s*** show,” a third claimed.

“The Browns cutting four of five linemen protecting a rookie QB like Shedeur Sanders is reckless. That’s not development — that’s sabotage. You don’t throw a young talent into chaos and expect growth,” a fourth concluded.

Some fans who watched Sanders in college, where he played for the Colorado Buffaloes, even went as far as calling for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski to be fired for failing to give the rookie a ‘fair chance’ to succeed.

Others, meanwhile, suggested that it’s little surprise a number of the linemen who played against the Rams were cut, pointing out the Sanders’ rival Dillon Gabriel fared far better behind the same line.

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“Almost every lineman blocking for every 3rd or 4th string QB will be cut. And most 3rd and 4th string QBs will be cut. That’s how preseason works,” one suggested.

“Why did Gabriel look so much better behind the same line? Sanders is a legitimate 5th round pick for a reason,” another wrote.

“Welcome to being the lowest QB on the depth chart. You play with the lowest other players,” a third concluded.

Sanders’ performance against the Rams was a far cry from his impressive showing against the Carolina Panthers in the first game of preseason, which saw him complete 14 of his 23 pass attempts for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

While parts of his fanbase have laid the blame for his recent struggles with Stefanski, the Browns head coach this weekend dismissed the narrative that he’s ‘sabotaging’ Sanders.

Stefanski dismisses claims of Shedeur ‘sabotage’

Some argued that the decision to have now-cut QB Tyler Huntley leading the final, game-winning drive against the Rams — instead of Sanders — as the latest example of that.

“Obviously I don’t concern myself with outside type of things,” Stefanski said of the narrative.

“But I’m committed to his development, just like all of our rookies, so we’ll continue to focus on getting our guys better.

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“That’s what we’ll stay committed to, and that’s what’s important to me.”

Sanders, even after struggling against the Rams, continues to dominate the headlines in Cleveland in a way that few other fifth-round rookies could.

If he survives final roster cuts, as expected, then that noise isn’t going anywhere either.

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