Shedeur Sanders Fans Criticized for Mahomes Comparison

Shedeur Sanders has had an underwhelming 17 months since he joined the NFL. Ever since his draft stock plummeted at the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns quarterback has been a divisive figure and has spent much time on the bench. Many believed he deserved the slide. Others have backed him incessantly.

NFL analyst Anthony Lima took aim at the second group in a rant, delivered in a video clip of "The Ken Carman Show" on 92.3 The Fan and posted on X on Tuesday. The analyst compared the Sanders fandom to another viral trend from the late 2000s and early 2010s.

"We thought Tebowmania was crazy," he said. "This is crazier when it comes to that infatuation because the Tebow fans were in love with not just Tim Tebow but Florida football, they followed the SEC. ... What strikes me as different and quite frankly bizarre with the Shedeur fandom is they don't think he's ever capable of criticism."

"They don't allow it. ... They think it's all lies," Lima added. "They think he's Patrick Mahomes now and he's just not being given the opportunity."

Sanders lost the starting job to Deshaun Watson in August and is now set to ride the bench to start the season until his name is called. Depending on how the season goes, the next sighting of the quarterback could be in 2027.

In other NFL news, tight end Patrick Herbert is joining his brother Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Monday night. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official, said Patrick Herbert had opted to sign with the Chargers' practice squad after clearing waivers. The 25-year-old was waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The move could result in the Herbert brothers' sharing a locker room for the first time since their college days at Oregon, though they crossed paths only briefly in Eugene. Patrick's freshman season was 2019, when he appeared in only two games and did not catch a pass. Justin, now 28, was a senior in 2019, passing for 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Ducks to a 12-2 season.

The Chargers drafted Justin No. 6 in 2020, and he went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors and two Pro Bowl selections in six seasons.

Patrick played in 43 games at Oregon. His best season was his junior year of 2023, when he caught 15 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns. He went undrafted in 2025 and later signed with the Jaguars in January.

Patrick has his work cut out for him if he is to rise from the practice squad and join his brother on the main roster. The Chargers have five tight ends listed on their depth chart: starter Charlie Kolar and reserves Oronde Gadsden, David Njoku, Scott Matlock and Evan Svoboda.

Finally, the Dallas Cowboys made a surprising move by cutting quarterback Joe Milton, a decision that came shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs parted ways with a player seen as a potential Patrick Mahomes replacement.