Ex-NFL Star Issues Blunt Warning on Shedeur Sanders as Browns QB Battle Heats Up

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Merril Hoge isn’t holding back about Shedeur Sanders’ NFL potential, and let’s just say he’s not handing out any gold stars.

Sanders, once forecasted to go as high as the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, ended up tumbling all the way to the fifth round. The Cleveland Browns scooped him up, even after already selecting quarterback Dillon Gabriel. If you ever wanted a lesson in how quickly fortunes can change on draft night, Shedeur’s got a front-row seat.

Hoge, speaking to WDVE in Pittsburgh before the draft, summed up Sanders as a “really good college quarterback.” Translation: not exactly a glowing endorsement for NFL greatness. Hoge broke it down, saying Sanders’ accuracy and processing skills are “good”—but on his scale, that means a five out of ten. In Hoge’s view, “if you’re a five, you’re not a first-rounder. You’re not a franchise guy.” Ouch.

He also threw some shade at Sanders’ record-setting college completion percentage, arguing those gaudy numbers were padded with bubble screens. According to Hoge, that kind of play won’t fly in the NFL, where teams are hunting for skills like those of Joe Burrow, C.J. Stroud, or Jayden Daniels. “He ain’t even close, he ain’t even in the ballpark,” Hoge said. While he did admit Sanders has some toughness, he claimed, “how he moves, he ain’t going to put fear in anybody.”

Hoge’s critique didn’t end there. He warned teams to be cautious about expecting Sanders to handle the pressures of being a first-round pick, predicting, “He’s going to be an epic failure, and he’s going set your organization back another two or three years.” That’s the sort of forecast you hope doesn’t come true, unless you’re a rival team’s fan.

Now that Sanders slipped to the fifth round, the expectations have cooled off—at least a little. But the QB competition in Cleveland is about as crowded as a New York subway at rush hour. Sanders will be fighting for the starting job in camp, and with Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco also in the mix, nothing is guaranteed.

Dillon Gabriel, who holds the FBS record for touchdown passes, was also a late draft pick, adding even more intrigue to Cleveland’s quarterback drama. All eyes will be on the Browns’ QB room as voluntary workouts and training camp heat up. If you thought reality TV was dramatic, just wait for this quarterback battle to unfold.