To say that Shedeur Sanders' rookie season was disappointing would be a massive understatement. His fans didn't get to watch him from Day 1, and when he finally took the field, it wasn't always a pretty watch.
Sanders threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and the league drew some severe backlash when he was chosen as a Pro Bowl alternate.
That said, most people would agree that the Browns' offense, while still pretty bad, felt a little different with Sanders at the helm.
Sanders' confidence and his swagger are contagious, and it felt like he had won over the locker room. That's why teammate Denzel Ward's latest comments on the Up & Adams show caught so many fans off guard.
When asked about whether Sanders should be QB1 next season, the star cornerback took the high road.
“That’s not my decision to make. We got guys still on the roster who are going to provide good competition at that position. Looking forward seeing that happen,” Ward said on the show. “May the best guy win. We got a lot of talented guys in that room who can compete. But he’s in a good spot to get that starting spot if he wants to go get it.”
Denzel Ward passes on endorsing Shedeur Sanders as Browns QB1
Ward might just be being politically correct and playing it by the book with that response. He may have relationships with Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel, or maybe he has some inside intel on the Browns' next quarterback target.
Whatever the case, it also feels like he airballed a layup there. He could've shared the classic PR response and voiced his support for Shedeur. Instead, his comments stirred the pot and went nuclear on social media.
Granted, it's not like he said anything bad about Shedeur. If anything, he challenged him to take a leap and make the most of the opportunity that he's been given. Still, fans are quick to take things out of context, especially with snippets and clips online.
At the end of the day, it's true that Ward probably won't have a say on whether Shedeur is the starter next season. This doesn't even mean that he doesn't think that should be the case.
Still, with all the extra attention that comes with the Colorado product, a savvy veteran like Ward could've chosen his words a little more wisely.