Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is concentrating on mastering the small details and maintaining a no-excuses mindset as he prepares for his first season in the NFL. Sanders is dedicating time to improve his understanding of defenses by learning from veteran teammates, focusing on daily practice improvements rather than worrying about long-term outcomes.
“My goal is to be the best teammate and to be as polished as I can be,”
Sanders said, via Pro Football Talk.
“So, in every aspect, I view things as I got time. I got time to be able to grow and mature, you know, and be able to understand the ins and outs of the defenses and be able to get the good insight from the vets in the room. So, I look at it as, you know, a plus. Like, I got time to actually be able to really have a great understanding. And whenever, you know, it’s time for me to play, then it’s time for me to play. But I’m not looking too far in the future about all that. I’m looking about every day in practice because I had some misses out there today that, you know, we got to go in there and correct, reads getting in and out drops a little bit faster from under center. So that’s the main thing. I’m focused on the small things, and over time, the big things will happen.”
—Shedeur Sanders, Browns QB
Lamar Jackson’s Limited Offseason Attendance Does Not Raise Concerns for Ravens
Though Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has participated in only one offseason practice session so far, head coach John Harbaugh is confident in Jackson’s preparedness and performance. Harbaugh highlighted Jackson’s excellent condition and sharp execution during that session, signaling trust in his star player despite limited appearances in voluntary offseason activities.
“I’m not taking any position on it, judging it,”
Harbaugh said, via Gianna Han of the Baltimore Banner.
“The day he was out here, he played great. I could see he was in great shape. Threw the ball great, made the reads, knew the offense. I thought he was fantastic. When he comes back and practices, when that happens I expect him to play at that level. That’s what you measure. I’m not measuring the attendance. It’s a voluntary camp. I love being out here, I think all the players do. When Lamar’s out here, I promise you he loves being out here. He’s my guy. I love him.”
—John Harbaugh, Ravens Head Coach
J.J. Watt Shares Insights on Contract Issues Affecting Brother T.J. Watt
During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, former NFL defensive lineman J.J. Watt weighed in on the contract negotiations involving his brother, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt. He discussed the tension between team management and players when handling business matters like contract agreements, emphasizing the importance of addressing such issues early to avoid resentment.
“I have a lot of information on that subject,”
J.J. Watt said, via Pro Football Talk.
“I just — that’s not my subject. Ownership and front offices obviously treat this like a business, but they do not like it when the players flip the script on them and treat it like a business back.”
—J.J. Watt, Former NFL Defensive Lineman
He continued to explain the value of resolving contract deals promptly, highlighting both financial and morale benefits for teams and players alike.
“Taking care of your guys earlier does a few things for you,”
J.J. added.
“Number one, it gets them locked in at a lower price, in the long run. I mean, you look at what prices are doing every single year, and you get them locked in at a lower price. Number two, you’re keeping them happy, because even now, let’s say, look at Trey Hendrickson‘s situation — let’s say they pay him now. Now there’s all this resentment, there’s all this animosity, and, yeah, 40 million dollars or whatever it is cures a whole lot of that, and he’s gonna act like everything is great and everything is wonderful. But you just went through a whole bunch of time where there was some disrespect, where there were some hurt feelings, and now you’re gonna go back into a building and act like everything’s OK. If you take care of things early, especially when players want to take care of things earlier and say that they’ll take less money to take care of things earlier because it sets themselves up long term financially, do that. Because if you don’t do that, that’s when the problems start to arise, and now all of a sudden you say, ‘Hey, we have to kick this can down the road because of the way everything’s working out.’ You kick the can down the road, and the can gets a whole lot bigger. And then the player says, ‘Well, the can’s a lot bigger now. Fill it up.’ And you don’t want to fill it up because you say, ‘Well, we have to pay all these other guys, we have to take care of these other things.’ It’s like, ‘Well, I wanted to fill the can way back down here when it was a little soup can. Now we got ourselves a garbage pail.’”
—J.J. Watt, Former NFL Defensive Lineman
NFL Teams and Players Navigate Offseason Developments
The current offseason period has seen a mix of preparation, negotiation challenges, and personal growth among NFL players and teams. Lamar Jackson’s limited but impressive offseason practice attendance reassures the Ravens’ coaching staff about his readiness, while rookies like Shedeur Sanders remain determined to master their craft. Meanwhile, veteran perspectives from figures like J.J. Watt shed light on the complex contractual dynamics shaping the league.
These developments underscore the relentless drive of NFL athletes and organizations to balance physical conditioning, strategic planning, and financial management as the new season approaches. Monitoring these stories will remain essential to understanding how teams align their rosters and build cohesion leading into regular-season play.