QB Shedeur Sanders (6.10.26)
A lot of the coaches have talked about how impressed they’ve been with your growth since the offseason workout program started. Where do you think you’ve grown the most in terms of your comfort within this offense?
“I’m a man of my word. If I say I’m dedicating everything, I have to be great, and that’s just what I’m going to do. So I think now you understand I’m a man of my word a little bit more.”
As far as on the field as a quarterback, what’s the way Todd Monken maybe has helped you and benefited you the most in what you do on the field?
“I’d say relationship. I never want to let my coaches down at all at any point, even if it may look like a good day, if I know internally, like, it’s a couple things I messed up on, it’s just the relationship. That’s what I’m based off of, and that’s what I appreciate a lot. All these coaches, having that relationship, and we know everything coming from, like a get better standpoint, you know, and just being able to talk. So if I miss a throw out there, it’s like, dang, I don’t even want to talk to coach. I’m like, I let him down, you know? But I think that’s just how we all feel on this team. Like, we love Coach (Todd) Monken and all the coaches that’s with him.”
How would you assess the way the competition is going with you and Deshaun (Watson)?
“I don’t think I’m a judge. I’m not a judge.”
Todd made it sound like yesterday like the competition is going to continue through training camp. So how do you prepare yourself, mentally and physically, for coming back six weeks from now and duking it out for the spot?
“See, I think the way y’all look at things is different than how we look at things. We look at coming to practice every day, being the best player we can be as an individual and as a good teammate. Y’all look at it as like a competition. It’s not really nothing I’m just focused on. I’m focused on developing as a player, like doing everything, getting as comfortable as I can in the offense and the scheme and playing with that confidence I had. So I think that’s all I’m really looking for and trying to improve every day, whether it’s mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Like, I’m just trying to be a better person every day. And wherever that falls into place, it’ll fall into place.”
We’ve seen Todd (Monken) not afraid to, if there’s a mistake pre-snap or whatever, he’ll stop the play and make you guys reset. He coaches you up hard during practice. What’s your view of that? How much does that help you when you have a head coach that’s not afraid to set expectations in the middle of a practice?
“Seems like something familiar I was used to. Seems like a guy that I’m real familiar with, so I enjoy it. You know, I definitely like his expectations he has for us. And it gives you no choice but to be great or to get out of the way. You know, I think it’s just that simple.”
Do you plan on posting a workout prior to training camp with teammates, or do you plan to attend Deshaun’s (Watson) workout in South Florida?
“I just think that was a question to try to start something, honestly. I think we’re a team. If one of us chooses to do something, we’re all going to do it together as a team. It’s not no individual thing. So that’s the thing — the quarterback room, we are connected, we are cool. That’s the difference. Like, we’re all cool. We all communicate with each other. There’s nobody’s single individual idea, because that creates separation with now, what receivers gonna show up for this guy? Nah, we all team. We’re all gonna come as one. We’re all gonna get together as one team and get things done. Because that’s what causes separation and just a messed up vibe. And it’s like that’s not really what we’re on this year. We’re on being a great team.”
How does this offense benefit your skill set?
“I think if it’s a football field and an ability to have a chance to play, that’s going to benefit anything. I don’t think it’s really about just the offense. I don’t think about things I can’t control. You know, if I was in the Wing-T, I have no choice but to execute a Wing-T offense, you know, so it’s like I don’t think about those things. I think about, okay, this is the objective. This is what I got to learn. This is what I gotta do. And I gotta maximize everything I can in this position.”
You’ve had a little over a month now with some of the new guys in this offense. What’s it been like building chemistry with KC (Concepcion) and with Denzel (Boston), and how is that relationship coming along?
“Yeah, I think it’s great, honestly, being able to have conversations with those guys and how they see stuff. It’s a lot of different perspectives coming from different places. And we all talk about it — even the quarterbacks, we all view things differently. So then we all help each other out, like, hey, you may want to do this drop on this, you know, or you may want to hitch when you do this, or if you see this, let’s probably just get into that. So it’s like everybody just communicates more and talks to each other.”
What about the new offensive line in front of you? Is it a similar process?
“Yeah, the new o-line, they’re really cool. We definitely have a lot of things in common that we talk about, you know, and I think it’s real cool. I think they really go out of their way, you know, just to connect with everybody, and I think it’s natural also. I think we have a lot of cool activities that we’re all going to get together and do — either individually or as like a big group and do. So it’s like the team, honestly, is real fun. It’s real exciting to be around. Like, it’s not really a dull moment when you have all these different players, personalities, everything. So it never feels like work. It never feels like you’re going out here and it’s long days, you look at everything like it’s fun and it’s a game.”
Alex Wright said the energy around here is just different right now in terms of guys chattering back and forth, offense and defense, even said Todd Monken has gotten into some of the trash talk. How do you feel like the energy has been both offensively and defensively?
“Yeah, it’s definitely competitive, and I like that type of game because that’s when the pressure is high. That’s when it brings the best out of everybody. We’re all competitors, so it brings the best out of everybody — even the coaches, they be talking to the players sometimes. So it’s just real fun. The energy every day is fun here.”
Isaiah (Bond) got such a late start to his rookie year last year. How much more comfortable does he look right now being able to go through the entire offseason and work with you and Deshaun (Watson) and all the other quarterbacks?
“I think every rookie out here looks way more comfortable. You get what I’m saying? We’re a team, we communicate through different things. We know each other’s skill sets. We know what we like, you know, what we don’t like. I think they get put in great positions to be able to maximize what they do and still grow in the things that they need to grow in — even me. So we work on those things individually every day about what we need to improve, and we better apply it next period or our coaches are going to be very mad.”
I know you were working out at the facility a lot in the offseason, and even Andrew Berry and others were talking about how hard you were working on your body. What was the goal in the offseason when it came to working on your body, and how do you think it’s going to translate to the field?
“Do the same thing I’ve been doing every year of my life. No different. Y’all just know now.”
Was there anything you took from your rookie year into the offseason where you said, okay, this is what I for sure need to work on?
“I think I had a different viewpoint of things, like understanding what everything is. So you don’t really get caught up in the games that life brings. Life is revolving every year — same thing, same different tactics, same way. Life is the same. So it’s like, how do you view things and how do you do things differently? Going around, what do you give energy to? What do you not give energy to? How do you keep yourself in a happy place at all times? Because we’re all out here, you know, and it’s a blessing just to be here. So like, none of us should ever feel angry, sad, down — there are way bigger things to worry about in the grand scheme of life. So I just think about that every day. I pray a lot. I listen to different sermons every day, and it gives me a refreshed mind so I can live a happy life every day. I don’t even really be on media. I just be chilling.”
Coach (Travis) Switzer and Monken mentioned he thinks your footwork has gotten a little quicker and that you’re going through your progressions faster. Is that something you’ve noticed as well, and was that a point of emphasis?
“I try to make everything about being the best quarterback in the world a point of emphasis. So whatever I need to improve, I look at that and I try to improve. So it’s just the whole thing — just being a better person overall, everything. So it’s not one thing. When you look at everything as a whole, you understand, okay, this is what I need to get better at, and I changed that, you know. So everything you can be.”
A couple days ago you were seen at the event Cleveland for Christ. Can you talk about that and what it means to you?
“Yeah, definitely. Like, I really appreciate when our players are passionate about something. I’m speaking in general — I’m not speaking just about this one thing, but I’m really passionate about when our players are super serious about something. Because I know I like to do some things off the field, and I have great support when it comes to different teammates and different guys showing up and being there. And when you show that aspect of, like, all right, this is super serious and the cause is for something I kind of have to show up for, you know, just because I believe in God, and I believe that those men that put everything on were called to do that. I think I’ll never stop what one person’s calling is, so all I can do is just be a great supporter and do what I can to go and support my teammates in everything. So I think it was really exciting that they did that. I just got back from out of town, got a haircut, and then I pulled up. So I may have gotten baptized there — maybe — or I may just get baptized in my dad’s pool at home. I don’t know, who knows [joking]? But it was super cool. It’s super exciting, though. I’m just really happy and thankful, and I look at them and tell them I appreciate them, and we have those serious talks, just about Jesus, about God in the locker room, and I think it’s real cool. Appreciate it.”
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