The Cleveland Browns are no strangers to quarterback controversy, but the latest firestorm surrounding the organization comes from an unexpected source: Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss. In a scathing critique that has reverberated across the NFL landscape, Moss has publicly accused the Browns’ coaching staff of actively undermining rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders during his first career start, going as far as to suggest they “took touchdowns away” from the young signal-caller.

The accusations center on the Browns’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, a game where Sanders, the team’s first-round draft pick, showed flashes of brilliance but was curiously sidelined during critical red-zone opportunities. Moss, known for his unfiltered analysis, didn’t mince words, suggesting that the play-calling decisions weren’t just conservative—they were calculated acts of sabotage.

The “Sabotage” in the Red Zone

Moss’s primary contention revolves around two specific instances where the Browns drove the ball deep into Raiders territory, largely thanks to Sanders’ arm. In one sequence, Sanders connected on a deep pass that placed the ball at the 2-yard line, electrifying the stadium and putting the team in prime position to score. However, instead of allowing their rookie to finish the drive he engineered, the coaching staff pulled Sanders off the field.

“They put the young man in the Wildcat and did not put him under center,” Moss argued passionately. “We’re talking about uplifting the quarterback… I don’t know if everybody in that building wants him to win.”

The decision to switch to a Wildcat formation—a strategy that typically removes the quarterback in favor of a direct snap to a running back or receiver—resulted in a touchdown, but at a significant cost to Sanders’ confidence and stat line. For Moss, this wasn’t just a strategic pivot; it was a vote of no confidence in a player who had just earned the right to stay on the field.

“You took care of the football, you played really smart… and they took touchdowns away from Shedeur Sanders,” Moss declared. The implication is severe: that the Browns organization, or factions within it, might be setting their rookie up to fail, or at the very least, are hesitant to let him fully succeed.

A Rookie Under the Microscope

Shedeur Sanders entered the league with a level of scrutiny rarely seen for a rookie quarterback. His confident demeanor, celebrated college career, and famous surname have made him a polarizing figure. Moss touched on this, noting that Sanders’ “swag” and talk of being legendary make some people uncomfortable. “Different doesn’t mean wrong,” Moss countered, defending the rookie’s personality.

Despite the noise, Sanders’ performance on the field was commendable. He threw for a touchdown, avoided catastrophic mistakes for the most part, and demonstrated the kind of arm talent that scouts drool over. His ability to hit deep passes and manage the game in a hostile environment suggested he was ready for the moment. Yet, the coaching staff’s decisions seemed to contradict the evidence of their own eyes.

“Most QBs lose the game, and I thought Shedeur knew the assignment and he passed the test,” Moss said. By taking the ball out of his hands in the most critical area of the field, the Browns denied him the “cherry on top” of a solid debut—a multi-touchdown performance that could have silenced critics and galvanized the locker room.

Organizational Dysfunction?

The broader implication of Moss’s rant is that the Cleveland Browns are a franchise at war with itself. With a record of 2-9 and the season effectively lost, the priority should be the development and evaluation of their future franchise quarterback. Every snap Sanders takes is a data point for the future. By limiting his exposure in high-leverage situations, the Browns are arguably hurting their own long-term interests.

“If you’re evaluating the future of your franchise, how can you properly evaluate a quarterback when you’re not letting him play quarterback in critical moments?” asked one analyst echoing Moss’s sentiments.

The “sabotage” theory gains traction when viewed through the lens of internal politics. Is there a disconnect between the front office that drafted Sanders and the coaching staff tasked with developing him? Moss seems to think so. His comment, “I don’t know if everybody in that building wants him to win,” points to a fractured culture where egos might be prioritized over winning.

The Fallout

The reaction to Moss’s comments has been swift. Fans are demanding answers, and the pressure on Head Coach Kevin Stefanski to justify his personnel usage has intensified. While defensive superstar Myles Garrett was seen celebrating Sanders’ big plays—a sign that the locker room supports the rookie—the coaching staff’s conservative approach risks alienating the players.

Rex Ryan, another analyst, attempted to defend the move as “smart management,” arguing that protecting a rookie in his first start is standard procedure. But Moss wasn’t having it. In his view, there is a fine line between protection and suffocation, and the Browns crossed it.

As the Browns prepare for their next matchup, all eyes will be on the sideline. Will the coaching staff loosen the reins and let Sanders play through the mistakes and the triumphs? Or will they continue to manage him with a fear that borders on paranoia?

One thing is certain: Randy Moss has exposed a crack in the foundation of the Cleveland Browns. Whether that crack widens into a chasm depends entirely on how the organization responds to the accusation that they are their own worst enemy. For Shedeur Sanders, the battle isn’t just against opposing defenses; it might be against the very people supposed to be in his corner.