Cleveland Browns Star Shedeur Sanders Shares How He Really Feels About Being Compared To Angel Reese

Cleveland Browns star Shedeur Sanders had the whole world watching him on Friday, August 8, 2025, when he made his NFL debut against the Carolina Panthers.

Before the game, Sanders, 23, took a moment to speak with sideline reporters, one of whom said Sanders reminds him of Chicago Sky Star Angel Reese.

Of course, like Sanders, Reese has faced much scrutiny and criticism from online trolls, sports analysts, and even some local journalists.

However, both Shedeur Sanders and Angel Reese have handled the negative aspects that come with being in the spotlight exceptionally well, and the NFL quarterback took a moment to publicly acknowledge that.

On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, a user shared a video of a reporter comparing Sanders to Reese and asking for his thoughts on the basketball star's ability to block out negative noise and unwarranted hate.

“Yeah, I like how she handles the majority of her stuff. I like how she handles. She is doing a good job. She knows how to take advantage of the situation that she’s in, and I’m excited and I’m proud of her for that,” Sanders said.

Sanders' comments are particularly timely, as they come just days after a social media account posted a fake quote attributed to Reese, sparking a flood of problematic statements from online users.

Weeks before that, during the WNBA All-Star Game, Reese opened up about being the target of cyberbullying and explained that the amount of hate she received after winning the 2023 NCAA National Championship Game changed her life.

According to The Blast, Reese also revealed how dangerous things had become for her, saying that critics were "finding my address and my car," which prompted her to change "my whole lifestyle."

Reese, however, shared that the negativity she experiences online doesn't faze her. "I feel like I've built a thicker skin, but not everybody has a thick skin," she said.

And the comments from anonymous social media accounts aren't the only thing Reese has had to deal with. Throughout her sophomore season in the WNBA, the Chicago Sky star has also been the subject of many conversations on sports talk shows and podcasts, including RG3's project, "Outta Pocket."

During one episode, the former NFL player fueled the narrative that Reese allegedly harbored a hatred for Caitlin Clark. After receiving backlash, RG3 took to X to claim he had facts to defend his stance, insisting that people in Reese's inner "circle" had called to tell him he was right.

Reese, of course, responded, accusing the retired quarterback of "lying ... for clout." However, she didn't have to do too much talking, considering her mentor, Shaquille O'Neal, issued a word of warning on her behalf.

"Tweet another ... post about my girl Angel Reese and I'm gonna punch you in your f-cking face," the NBA champion said. "It's enough. I don't usually do stuff like this, but stop it, bro. You got your job, you got your podcast. Leave my Angel Reese alone. I'm the one calling her and telling her not to respond. F-cking stop it. That's the last time."

Sanders, meanwhile, has experienced a similar public reaction from people who find his unapologetic nature offensive.

One of the most glaring examples involves the 2025 NFL Draft, where Sanders, who was projected to be a high first or second round pick, instead fell to the fifth round as the 144th overall pick.

What drew even more attention to the situation was that Sanders, who was eagerly awaiting a phone call from an NFL team while livestreaming the three-day draft event on his Twitch account, was the victim of a cruel prank call, which later went viral online.

After a league-wide investigation, however, a coach from the Atlanta Falcons admitted that his college-aged son accessed his work computer and copied Sanders' phone number, which was later used for the viral call. The Falcons were fined $250,000 for violating league policies.

But that's not all. The frosty reactions Sanders receives have even come from inside his own organization, as Browns owner Jimmy Haslam recently admitted he was completely against drafting the rookie quarterback.

"If you would've told me ... Friday night driving home, y'all are going to pick Shedeur, I would have said, 'That's not happening,'" Haslam said to Cleveland.com. "And the end of the day, that's Andrew Berry's call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur."

Fast-forward to his performance on Friday, August 8, Sanders completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards with two touchdowns. His impressive showing silenced many of the Colorado product's critics, especially considering he received no first-team practice reps during training camp.

Following the game, which the Browns won 30-10, Sanders noticed 850 ESPN Cleveland reporter Tony Grossi in the tunnel and confronted him about his reporting. "You always say negative stuff about me," Sanders told Grossi. "I didn’t do nothing to you. I’ve never seen you say anything positive about me."

Later, Grossi took to X and wrote, "My bottom line on Shedeur Sanders' impressive debut: He put the pressure on QB2 Kenny Pickett and QB3 Dillon Gabriel to get healthy and perform next week."