Kevin Durant doesn’t hold back on what he thinks of Shedeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns situation

The Cleveland Browns started the season with five quarterbacks and heading into the sixth week of the season, they’re down to three - just two if you disregard Deshaun Watson, who’s injured and out likely for the season. A week ago, they announced rookie Dillon Gabriel as the starter over veteran Joe Flacco, and this week, they traded Flacco to their divisional rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. That leaves Gabriel as the current QB1 and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders as his backup.

Sanders was one of the most polarizing draft picks of the year. Even when he was drafted in the fifth round and even when he was listed as the third-string quarterback, people couldn’t stop talking about him, and they still can’t now. Now that a start from him this season is a real possibility, people are weighing in again - even NBA star Kevin Durant.

KD weighs in on Shedeur Sanders drama

Ahead of the NFL Draft, Sanders, a standout quarterback at Colorado under his father and NFL legend Deion Sanders, was projected to be a top-10 pick. He ended up falling to the fifth round due to rumors of his entitlement, arrogance, and and immature behavior when speaking to the media.

Since joining the Browns, Sanders has shown a mix of both focused professionalism and controversial behavior. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has praised his work ethic and focus during practice. But when Gabriel was named the starter with Flacco on the bench, Sanders refused to answer questions from reporters. Instead, he pantomimed his responses, an act that was widely condemned as “immature” by some in the media.

Speaking with Kay Adams on “The Up & Adams Show”, Houston Rockets power forward Kevin Durant shared his thoughts on Sanders’ journey in the NFL and the possibility of a start from the young rookie. Unlike a lot of the media commentary, Durant had positive things to say about the rookie.

“I’m glad he’s in the league, developing, getting reps every day with the team, just practicing every day,” said KD. “That’s what you want from any rookie, and when he gets his number called - that’s pro sports, your number will get called, and you’ll get an opportunity to play.”

“Once that happens, he’ll be ready,” he said. “Until then, just keep being a pro every day. That’s what I see from him.”

“The media, and the circus around him, it is what it is. That’s because of his last name and how he came into the league and just who he is, but he seems to be navigating that pretty well,” said Durant. “He seems to be getting better. He moved up to second in the depth chart, so he’s progressing. That’s a step in the right direction.”

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