The dust has yet to settle from the Cleveland Browns’ demoralizing defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears, but the noise surrounding the franchise has reached a deafening roar. In the wake of a 31-3 blowout that saw rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders running for his life, two of the biggest voices in football media—NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. and Hall of Famer Warren Sapp—have stepped forward with scathing critiques and dire warnings for the organization.

The message is loud, clear, and seemingly unanimous among the experts: Shedeur Sanders is the future, but the Cleveland Browns are currently failing him in the present.

The “Wristband” Fiasco: Incompetence at the Highest Level?

Perhaps the most shocking revelation to emerge from the post-game fallout comes from Warren Sapp. Speaking on a recent podcast, the Hall of Fame defensive tackle alluded to a report that borders on the absurd for a professional football team. Sapp discussed rumors that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may have provided Sanders with the wrong wristband—the essential guide to play-calling—during the game at Soldier Field.

“I was reading that Stefanski had done given Shedeur the wrong wristband in the game,” Sapp said, his voice dripping with disbelief. “Come on, man. We’ve been doing this for 30 years… ‘I’m the play-caller, you’re my quarterback, I hand you the wristband.’ On the road? In the Cathedral of Football, Soldier Field? Some people are rolling over in their graves right now.”

For a rookie quarterback already battling a ferocious pass rush and a depleted roster, such a fundamental administrative error is catastrophic. It speaks to a level of disorganization that transcends player performance and points a finger directly at the coaching staff. If the quarterback and the play-caller are literally not on the same page—or the same wristband—success is mathematically impossible.

Sapp’s frustration mirrors that of the fanbase. “I asked him one question… I call him in my office Monday morning early,” Sapp hypothetical told the Browns’ ownership, suggesting that such errors should be fireable offenses. The implication is clear: The chaos on the field is a reflection of the chaos on the sideline.

Mel Kiper’s Blueprint: The “Year Two” Prophecy

While Sapp focused on the coaching breakdown, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. turned his eyes to the roster construction. Kiper, who has scouted quarterbacks for decades, issued a stern warning to the Browns’ front office: Build around Shedeur Sanders immediately, or risk squandering a generational talent.

Kiper’s argument is rooted in history. He urged fans and analysts to look at Sanders’ track record at Jackson State and Colorado. The pattern is undeniable and strikingly consistent.

“You got to remember and watch the history of what Shedeur Sanders has done every stop that he has made,” Kiper noted.

At Jackson State in 2020, during the COVID-shortened season, a rebuilding team went 4-3. It was a learning period. The very next year, after the program built around him, they exploded to an 11-2 record. In 2022, they improved again to 12-1.

The pattern repeated at the Power Five level. When Sanders arrived at Colorado, he took over a dismal 1-11 team. In his first year, amidst constant sacks and roster turnover, they improved to 4-8. In his second season? A jump to 9-3.

“This current experience is nothing but déjà vu,” the analysis suggests. “If you give Shedeur Sanders the time and you as an organization build around him… Shedeur can change your franchise.”

Kiper’s specific solution for the 2026 NFL Draft? Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. Kiper suggests that pairing Sanders with a true number-one receiver like Tate, while shoring up the offensive line, is the key to unlocking the “Year Two” version of Shedeur that has historically dominated college football.

The Tale of Two Games: Context Matters

Critics pointing to the Bears game as proof of Sanders’ failure are ignoring the context provided just a week prior. In Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans, Sanders looked every bit the part of a franchise savior. He threw for 364 yards, three touchdowns, and rushed for another score, earning Rookie of the Week honors with a quarterback rating of 97.7.

So, what changed in Week 15? The support system collapsed.

Against Chicago, Sanders was playing behind an offensive line featuring zero starters. He was throwing to a receiving corps that, outside of Jerry Jeudy, consisted largely of practice squad call-ups. The running game was non-existent, plagued by penalties and inefficiency, forcing the rookie to drop back constantly against a defense that knew he couldn’t protect himself.

“No starters on the offensive line, only one starting vet wide receiver… The team can’t even run the ball no more,” noted sports analyst B. Watts. “That’s the stuff he’s going up against.”

The Verdict: Patience and Protection

The consensus among the experts is that the Browns are at a crossroads. They have a quarterback who has proven he can win when given a fighting chance—his performance against the Titans and his gritty win in his first NFL start (24-10) prove that. However, no quarterback can survive the combination of administrative incompetence (the wristband incident) and a complete lack of physical protection (five sacks against Chicago).

The Browns have already exceeded some expectations this season simply by remaining competitive in the AFC North, but the “moral victories” are over. The offseason begins now for the front office.

If the Browns follow the “Kiper Blueprint”—drafting elite weapons like Carnell Tate and investing heavily in the offensive line—history suggests Shedeur Sanders will reward them with a massive leap in production next year. But if they continue to subject him to the chaos that Warren Sapp described, they won’t just lose games; they will break the spirit of the most promising quarterback they’ve had in decades.

For Browns fans, the message is to hold the line. The talent is there. The “Year Two” jump is a proven phenomenon. Now, it’s up to the organization to stop getting in its own way and finally give their quarterback the help he deserves. As the team prepares for the final stretch of the season, the eyes of the football world—and legends like Sapp and Kiper—remain fixed on Cleveland, waiting to see if they will finally get it right.