Just past midnight on Interstate 71 near the Ohio turnpike, Strongville, Ohio police cited Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders for going 101 in a 60 Tuesday.
On the scale of athlete misdeeds it's reasonably low. Sanders, who has never been in any kind of trouble before, is locked in a four-way battle to make the roster as a Browns quarterback. He's a fifth-round draft choice competing with Oregon's Dillon Gabriel and NFL veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
Sanders is 23. It's a fourth-degree misdemeanor with a $250 fine. His pro contract pays him $1,161,845 a year with a signing bonus of $447,380, so he can probably afford to pay it. In addition to his football income he has endorsement deals with Ralph Lauren, Panini America, and Delta Airlines, in addition to previous deals with Beats by Dre and Google.
He and his family have done commercials for KFC and Gatorade.
What he can't afford is to become a distraction for the Browns, particularly because his competition in the quarterback room is Gabriel, a likable, handsome guy from Hawaii who is a year older and projects as clean-cut, squared-away and mature.
The NFL and the Browns in particular only care about winning, but if the decision becomes close, a sports franchise goes with the guy who doesn't pose as a distraction.
The incident is eerily similar to one 18 years ago involving a 23-year-old Lebron James.
Shedeur Sanders going to be great pic.twitter.com/h0L0iGQ0x5
— Shaun (@SareesDad) June 18, 2025
A player can have minor off-field trouble and scrapes and still be great, but 41 miles over the speed limit suggests a certain level of carelessness and poor judgment, particularly because it's not his first offense, according to reports.
Yikes: Browns star QB Shedeur Sanders was ALSO reportedly pulled over on June 6th for a speed violation and had to pay a fine for NOT appearing in court this Monday.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 19, 2025
Shedeur was pulled over yet again this week for going 101 mph, driving over 40 mph above the speed limit.
What… pic.twitter.com/4Oh90TCpA4
The league is just four years removed from a tragedy involving Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs, who went out drinking and crashed his car going 160 mph, killing 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog.
Ruggs spent three years in prison and is now in transitional housing, hoping for another shot at the NFL.
For Sanders, the vehicular extra curriculars open him up to comparisons and criticism. Former ESPN and Fox personality Skip Bayless said on X, “Now, as a 5th-string 5th-rounder battling for a roster spot — a place in the league — you obviously JUST CAN’T. “Now, unfortunately, all those critics are going to nod and say, ‘Told you so.’”