It’s indeed a rare scene in the NFL. Long before Shedeur Sanders becomes the starter or even plays his first game in the league, the Browns’ owner, Jimmy Haslam, washed his hands. He put the sole responsibility of drafting the Colorado rookie on their GM, Andrew Berry. If anything, it will fire up the young boy, who is already putting in the hard yards.

Tuesday, July 29, practice had ended at Berea, Ohio. Cleats were off, towels over shoulders, and most of the Browns quarterbacks were already headed back to the locker room. All, except one. Rookie Shedeur Sanders stayed on the field even 10 minutes late, helmet on, eyes locked in, still zipping passes like he had something to prove. And maybe he does. Everything played out right in front of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.

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However, this isn’t the first time he has done this. Back in June, during the minicamp, he stayed on the ground 20 minutes after the practice ended. And that became his other claim to fame. Fox 8‘s analyst John Sabol claimed that Shedeur Sanders stayed late in the rookie minicamp as well. And the extra work he put in has helped improve his mechanics.

Moreover, he has been working this offseason with only one motto. No distractions! That’s the sole reason he even told his father, Coach Prime Deion Sanders, to stay away from the Browns’ practice. The Colorado rookie once dreamed of beating his father in the draft. But that dream got crushed hard. So now he is trying to find his way to the QB1 spot. And if that means working harder than his competitors, so be it.

If by any chance, he succeeds in the season, then Haslam would find it hard to answer. For now, he watched his other rookie struggle. That must have pinched him.

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Browns’ owner watches Dillon Gabriel fail

Dillon Gabriel’s drive had promise, crisp movement, and decent pocket presence. But just when it looked like the undrafted QB might string together something meaningful, number 29 Cameron Mitchell baited him into a throw he’d instantly regret. The ball didn’t just float, it practically gift-wrapped itself into Mitchell’s hands in the end zone. Picked clean. Game over, moment seized.

And who was watching from the sidelines with a deadpan stare? Jimmy Haslam. Arms crossed. No smile. He knows that they are yet to find the starter. While Shedeur Sanders is riding high on his 74% pass accuracy rate, Gabriel has played for a variety of offenses and still excelled.

If we just look at the rookie competition, Gabriel failed to outclass Sanders even on July 28, the first day of padded practice. While he completed 6 of 9 passes without any TDs or interceptions, the Colorado rookie had a magical 100% pass accuracy in 9 passes, managing to score 2 TDs without any interceptions. Add in Mitchell’s interception on Tuesday, and the numbers become lackluster.

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Everything depends on the HC, Kevin Stefanski, now. Ken Carman of 92.3 The Fan has already declared his liking for Shedeur. He claimed that it didn’t matter if he got the reps with the first team, he would get his chance to start. Now, will the coach give chances to his other rookie as well? Well, he might do it. But Jimmy Haslam is another influential figure in the Browns’ building.

What he saw with his own eyes today might be enough for him to make a decision. With Joe Flacco‘s position almost fixed as QB1, the rookies still have tough competition in front of them. The position is up for grabs. But the reputation will not help them with that. They have to use their arms to talk now.