Browns: Sanders, Jeudy brush off sideline tiff

The game of football is an emotional one for players, even in the best of times.

So when it comes to the Cleveland Browns, who rarely experience the best of times, it is understandable that emotions can boil over from time to time.

Such was the case on Sunday afternoon during Cleveland’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Even with starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders having another week of practice reps with the first team, it was another long day against an average defense, with the Browns only managing 253 yards of offense and finishing 3-of-11 on third down.

One play that the Browns would love to have hit on came early in the fourth quarter when Sanders and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy could not connect on a pass that would have gone for a big gain, perhaps even a touchdown.

Whether it was an overthrow by Sanders or a lack of effort from Jeudy depends on which narrative one subscribes to in relation to the players. But there is no denying it has been a rough season for both Sanders, who had to wait for a starting opportunity until Week 12, and Jeudy, who has failed to build off his 1,000-yard receiving season in 2024.

Those frustrations appeared to come to a head early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game when the CBS broadcast showed Jeudy in a heated exchange with Sanders on the sidelines.

On Wednesday, both players had an opportunity to discuss what happened, and Sanders said everything is fine and he has moved on:

“We resolved that. We’re not going to speak on that. I would think, like, when I’m not playing, when I’m a starter, (our relationship is) the same. You know, I wouldn’t say people treat you better, that you start now, you know, like it’s normal.”

As for Jeudy, while he admitted he could have handled things differently, he also pointed out that it is all just part of the game:

“I probably would have talked to him off-camera. That’s what I would have done differently. Of course, I’m going to speak my mind and say what I see out there. But it is what it is. Football. Me and Shedeur are good. Stuff like that happens.

“Y’all are going to make it bigger than what it is because the media feeds off negativity. It is what it is. We move on from it. I live in real life. So whatever happens in this locker room, this is real, not what’s going on on social media and everything. Me and Shedeur are good. Everything’s good.”

Now that the key members in this little dramatic spat have worked things out, there is no doubt that everyone else will move on.

At least until the next time something pops off between the quarterback and one of his receivers.