When the Cleveland Browns started voluntary minicamp, the media were able to watch one of the open practices and were able to talk to specific Browns players just days before the great 2026 NFL draft. Second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders spoke to the media, gave a ton of answers to questions, but a few specific answers stood out.
Sanders talked about new energy around the team and asked the media to have new energy as well, not focusing so much on the negatives of the past.
Sanders isn’t wrong. Since the team has returned, the Browns haven’t been good. The team has had winning seasons, but the winning hasn’t been consistent. Bad teams, bad coaches, not having a solution at quarterback, along with multiple general manager changes, can wear on people.
For fans, not having a team that wins consistently can drain them mentally. Fans want to be excited about their sports team and not feel any shame when they root for them.
As for how the team is covered, it’s a completely different story. Covering a team when they are winning is a lot more fun than covering them when they are losing. However, players are well aware of how the media talks about them. Back in 2023, former Browns safety Juan Thornhill, who had recently signed with the team, talked about how things were going to change through positivity.
Sanders seems to have similar thoughts:
The message might be the same, but the messenger is a different story. Thornhill was a Super Bowl champion and a veteran brought in to help lead the team out of the losing. Sanders didn’t prove much as a rookie, but, as one of the competitors for the starting quarterback role, he does have a leadership role.
If the team won consistently, the attitude around the team wouldn’t be negative and, at times, condescending from the fans and media. Winning cures all. It solves everything. Sanders could be the catalyst if his play improves. Or maybe Deshaun Watson leads it. The only way the Browns can change the attitude around them is by winning games consistently. Preaching positivity has to turn into wins and a new culture.
It’s the only solution, but it’s easier said than done.