🤯 The Unacceptable Truth: Stephen A. Smith and Cam Newton DEMOLISH Browns for Sabotaging Shedeur Sanders

The Cleveland Browns organization is reeling after a brutal, unfiltered attack from NFL analysts Stephen A. Smith and Cam Newton, who publicly accused the coaching staff of failing and effectively sabotaging quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The outrage stems from the glaring fact that Sanders looked “grossly ill-prepared” in his debut, a failure that points directly to a systemic breakdown in coaching responsibility.

Stephen A. Smith and Cam Newton did not hold back. They didn’t speak in hypotheticals; they spoke in certainties, exposing the clear imbalance and poor judgment that has plagued the Browns’ quarterback room all season.

🎯 The Unprepared QB: An Indictment of the System

The core of the criticism is simple: A backup quarterback should never look that unprepared.

Stephen A. articulated the severity of the offense:

“What’s rare to see is a quarterback that looked grossly ill-prepared to be on the football field. I’m talking about schematically.”

He argued that Sanders, who is disciplined and accurate, was not suffering from a lack of talent, but from a system failing to teach him.

The Inexcusable Failure: Sanders was the QB2, yet he was sent onto the field lost because the staff refused to give him the time and consistency he deserved with the starters.

The Responsibility: Stephen A. was explicit: “That’s not a Shedeur failure. That’s a coaching failure.” Head Coach Kevin Stefanski’s primary job is to ensure every quarterback in the room is ready, not just the one he prefers.

Cam Newton, drawing from his experience as a starter, backup, and third-stringer, reinforced this point, calling the situation unacceptable. He stressed that even if limited, the team needs anywhere from six to twelve reps in every practice for the backup to maintain rhythm and chemistry with the offense. Denying Sanders these fundamental reps was a conscious decision that almost guaranteed his failure.

💔 The Betrayal of Development

The analysts believe that Stefanski’s actions go beyond simple misjudgment; they show a pattern of neglect and favoritism that directly hurt the team.

Ignoring the Basics: The ultimate proof of failure came from the offensive line, where Wyatt Teller admitted the starting unit heard Sanders’ cadence for the first time during the game itself. This lack of basic coordination is not on the player; it is a fatal flaw in the coaching schedule. As Cam Newton put it: “For him to not have any reps, for him to have this to be his first time that he’s taken first team reps where individuals don’t even know your snap count or your cadence, that is like, yo, bro, what are we doing here?”

The One-Sided Investment: Stefanski poured all his investment into Dylan Gabriel, giving him every rep and every advantage. Yet, Gabriel still struggled to lead the team. Meanwhile, Sanders fought for scraps and showed clear promise every time he got the ball. This contrast makes the coaching staff look worse because they are actively choosing to invest in the wrong quarterback and ignoring the talent that is ready to lead.

Lack of Accountability: Cam Newton hit the nail on the head, accusing Stefanski of failing at his most basic job: player development. “If you’re not developing players, no matter if it’s a starter, a free agent, or a late round pick… You’re not doing your job, Kevin Stefanski.”

🎯 The Ulterior Motive Question

The most severe criticism comes from the confusion surrounding Stefanski’s motives. While one analyst argued that Stefanski, as a two-time Coach of the Year, couldn’t have an “ulterior motive” not to see Sanders succeed, the counter-argument is far more compelling:

Accolades Don’t Excuse Failure: Stefanski’s past success doesn’t excuse a mistake of this magnitude. The mishandling of Sanders’ development is too large to ignore.

Controlling the Narrative: The true suspicion is that Stefanski was more interested in holding onto control and protecting his own job by sticking with his guy (Gabriel) than he was in developing the player (Sanders) that the front office or ownership may have pushed for.

Sanders himself exposed the pressure, the growth, and the fire behind his rise, proving he is ready for the role everyone tried to deny him. He has the kind of emotional growth and composure that comes from surviving chaos, not from perfect coaching.

The Browns need to stop looking at Sanders as a “problem” and start seeing him as the solution. His quiet strength, composure, and drive prove that he is built for the pressure. The only thing slowing the team down is the coach’s stubbornness and failure to recognize the obvious talent that he has been neglecting all season.

The clock is ticking on Stefanski’s tenure. If he can’t fix this glaring failure and fully commit to Sanders, the Browns must seriously consider firing him and finding a coach who understands that developing every player is the foundation of winning.