QB Shedeur Sanders (8.19.26)
Did anyone win the barber competition or no?
“See, when it comes to competition, sometimes, and it’s like for fun, I don’t really like to make people feel down if they didn’t win. So, it was more of a great way to connect everybody, and connect the city and the community, rather than, ‘oh, you went home a loser or a winner.’”
But you found your barber, though?
“Yeah, I did. I definitely found my barber, but I’ve got to do another part two soon. Whenever that happens, it happens.”
When you look back at what you did in Chicago, what were you most pleased about in that time out there?
“We’re playing the Bills this week, so I’m not even thinking about Chicago anymore, to be honest. Let me go back in my memory bank to think about that. I would say how I felt out there, the feeling I had out there, the comfort I had, and it felt truly exciting to get to that place and know that place is there. That’s what I’m most excited about, being out there.”
Obviously, you mentioned the Bills, they come in tomorrow, so, what’s your mindset heading into the joint practice?
“Mindset heading into the practice? I’ll say the same approach we have every practice that we go to. Go out there, get completions, run the offense the right way, and that’s the main focus.”
Does it feel like heightened importance just because it’s a new team?
“No, I think every day is important, honestly. I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that’s not important.”
How do you track what you’ve improved the most on since camp began?
“To be honest, I don’t even know when camp started. We’ve been here every day.”
Since the start of the offseason, then?
“I’ll say everything. I feel better, I know I look better. I think everything.”
Were you surprised by the way practice ended yesterday? It looked like Todd (Monken) was frustrated about Browns not taking care of Browns. What’s your perspective on that kind of practice?
“At that point I’m just recapping my series of everything and playing everything back in my mind. Once coach says practice is over, it’s over. I’m not able to see the details of who’s taking care of what, because we’re thinking more about operation and the grand scheme of things of what’s going on.”
You guys have spent weeks going against your own defense. How exciting is it to be able to practice against somebody else finally?
“It’s truly exciting because they have a different scheme than our defense does. So, it’s great to get those practice reps in and make it feel as close as possible to the game, and to grow in those areas, also, in which you see in different keys and structures that they have. I’m truly excited about it. I know they have a great defense, a great challenge ahead, and I’m just happy to be able to be a part of it.”
Will you try to talk to Josh Allen a little bit? Have you met him before? What do you think of him as a quarterback, and would you talk to him?
“I haven’t put much thought into what conversation I’m going to have with anybody there. I’m focused on the practice I have today and getting ready for the script and everything tomorrow, so those things like naturally happen. I don’t really predetermine conversations with people.”
You’ve mentioned him before as a guy you like to watch. What do you like about Josh Allen’s game?
“I met him a couple times in the past through different deals and stuff off the field, and he’s always been cool, so I always respect him fully. He plays a great game, and his style of play fits him perfectly. I like that about him.”
As a quarterback, how do you slow the clock down in your mind so you’re not speeding yourself up?
“What clock?”
Your own mental clock. The clock you have in your head as like “I’ve got to do this by this”.
“It doesn’t really work like that. You’ve got three different clocks you’re going against. You’re going against the clock of the play clock, you’re going against the clock of the actual game, and then you’re going against the clock of how long you’ve got before you have to get the ball out of your hand. So, it’s about four or five different clocks you’ve got to go off of. It’s a feel, it’s not really a method, I’d say. It’s more of a feel.”
Has your “feel” improved or grown as the reps have continued at this level of competition?
“I think that’s really the only way you get feel, is from being out there and being able to feel it. So, I’d say it’s grown. Anything you do over and over, you’re going to improve in some form or fashion. So, the clock, and everything within myself, obviously improves every day.”
You’re not supposed to get hit out there in practice. That play yesterday when you got bumped, it looked accidental, but is that disconcerting as a quarterback when, all of a sudden, there’s one of the defensive guys touching or so close to you?
“No. That was just a friendly reminder that I’ve got to step up, which I’ve been focused on this whole time. Even when certain situations happen, that’s just me having to have more of a plan, if plan A doesn’t work, having a better plan on where to dish the ball and get rid of the ball. That’s really all that was. That was my first reminder of it, so I’m like, okay. I think pretty much overall I’ve been focused on staying in the pocket and stepping up, and when I retreat, the only time I retreat is if it’s a scot-free blitz or whatever. I know I’ve been making those types of throws my whole career, so some things, it’s part of my game, some things I’ll improve in, but yeah, that was just a little friendly reminder.”
Coach Monken has said that after this game Saturday is when he might make the quarterback decision. So here you are starting this game, how important, in that scheme, is that for you?
“I’ll say every day of my life is important. Every day is important, I wouldn’t say there’s a day that’s not important. So, that’s just another day going out there doing what I’ve got to do, honestly. I don’t really feel anxiety or any pressure going into things like that anymore, because that’s how I approach everything. It’s just another day of going to work, that’s all it is for me.”
Todd’s been talking about this philosophy in camp, callousing, that you guys practice a little harder than some other teams. Jared Verse said he’s doing more work here than he did with the Rams in the past. The idea is maybe you pick up a few more bruises here, but down the road, it’ll help you guys. How do you think that philosophy can help you guys down the road?
“I think coach came in here understanding that we have a ways to go overall when it comes to our wins and losses over the past few years. So, it’s kind of like building that mentality of toughness. Some places may have the luxury not to have to do that, but it’s more about a deserve thing, I don’t think we deserve to take that many days off like that, because we have a lot of young players on offense and young players on the team that we’ve got to be able to expedite the process on catching up with the game speed and really understanding the game. It’s a thing that sometimes you may feel a way about, but in the grand scheme of things it’s moving toward the direction of where we’re trying to get as a franchise and as a team. As long as everything’s aligned with that, then that’s how you know what’s good and what’s not good. That’s very good for us, because we need to be able to go out there and execute regardless of age and regardless of experience.”
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