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By Matthew Schmidt
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Cleveland Browns have officially named Shedeur Sanders their starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, but there are some who still feel the Browns are trying to sabotage him.
NFL legend Shannon Sharpe, who has been one of the most vocal critics of Cleveland throughout the campaign, feels that the reason the Browns named Sanders the starter is because of how difficult the schedule is.
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"I really hate to feel this way, but a part of me is like, 'Yeah, we're going to let him start the rest of the season. Bears, Bills, Steelers, Bengals,'" Sharpe told Chad Johnson on the Nightcap podcast. "If I'm Shedeur, I'm like, 'No, I'm good. I already show you what I can do. Put Dillon [Gabriel] in there.'"
Cleveland definitely has a difficult schedule to end the season, but at the same time, Sharpe had been calling for Sanders to start all year long. Now that Sanders is actually the starter, Sharpe is finding another conspiracy theory to peddle.
"Why couldn't you name his [expletive] the starter three games ago? Why was it week to week?" Sharpe questioned.
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Sanders has thrown for 769 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 52.4 percent of his passes and posting an 80.9 passer rating in four appearances and three starts this season.
Most recently, the University of Colorado product went 23-for-42 with 361 yards, three touchdowns and a pick while also punching in a rushing score during a loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Week 14 was unquestionably Sanders' strongest performance of the campaign to date, so that's why Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski decided to name him the starter for the remainder of 2025.
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Yes, the schedule is difficult, but let's be honest: if Stefanski didn't name Sanders the starter after his performance against the Titans, Sharpe and many others would be calling for his head.
If anything, Sanders has a fantastic opportunity to show that he can be Cleveland's quarterback of the future over the final four weeks of the regular season. If he puts together a strong run over this last month, it will go a long way in making the Browns really think about their NFL Draft strategy.
For more on the Cleveland Browns and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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