Even before Shedeur Sanders made noise in the Browns‘ offseason program, Troy Aikman already had his eye on him. The Cowboys legend, in a quick chat with TMZ Sports last December, dropped a line that said it all. “I do think he’s (Shedeur) a franchise quarterback. I love his game. I’ve obviously been watching him for a number of years.” High praise, sure. But fast forward to now, and it’s safe to say that the NFL doesn’t exactly hand out fairy tales.

For Shedeur, the journey’s been more grind than glory. Draft week dragged before Cleveland finally snagged him in the fifth round. Then came the four-way QB battle where he barely saw first-team reps, only to slide down the depth chart once Joe Flacco swooped in and claimed the QB1 role. Aikman didn’t sugarcoat it either. He cut straight to the truth: Shedeur isn’t getting the breathing room most young quarterbacks need.

“I think the only unfortunate thing from my perspective, but I don’t think that Shedeur would feel this way,” Aikman told Michael Irvin during his recent appearance on Irvin’s podcast. “I don’t think Deion (Sanders) would Deion would feel this way that that he he really hasn’t been allowed to just go do his thing, you know, without like sometimes there’s comfort in in anonymity and just being able to go work on your craft and and put in the time and and then emerge, you know, victorious.” 

Aikman pointed it out plainly as he continued: “You know, everything he does, uh, you know, he is a Sanders, so that’s part of it. You know, everything he does certainly is scrutinized. He’s accustomed to that….I think he’s going to have a great story and, uh, I’ve been following him, you know, really since he began at Jackson State,” the Cowboys legend Aikman added.

But that’s the thing. Anonymity has never been part of Shedeur’s story. At 23, he carries the Sanders name—the weight of Prime Time’s legacy. And with that comes more than responsibility: it comes with chaos, scrutiny, and relentless criticism. That’s where Shedeur gets separated from peers like Cam Ward or Jayden Daniels, or any other young QB. Those guys had room to grow in relative peace. Shedeur? He’s been under the spotlight from day one—from playing under Coach Prime at Jackson State to carrying the face of Colorado’s resurgence. Every throw, every move, every moment has been tracked and debated. And yet, he delivered.

Fifty straight college starts, more than 14,000 passing yards, 134 touchdowns, all while living under the microscope. No wonder Aikman sees something bigger brewing. A great story in the making.

The Cowboys’ legend went on, “Uh, went and watched his first game and, you know, I expect that when his story is told, which is way down the road, it’s going to be really good. So, I’m pulling for him.” Sure, Shedeur is set to warm the bench when the Browns’ regular season kicks off. But through Aikman’s eyes, that’s not a setback. It’s the start of a longer arc. A story still being written, one that just might end the way Aikman predicts: really good. 

Troy Aikman backs up Kevin Stefanski’s decision

The Browns will kick off the regular season with Flacco under the center. Some people backed the move, pointing to Flacco’s experience and the fact that he already proved he could get the Browns into the postseason a couple of years ago. But others weren’t so convinced. Stefanski had promised a four-way QB competition, and to them, this felt less like an even battle and more like the staff already had their guy.

But when Irvin asked Aikman his thoughts on Flacco being the QB1 over Shedeur, he backed up Stefanski’s decision. “Yeah. Uh interesting,” Aikman responded. “I personally, I mean, I think a lot of Kevin Stefanski. So if I’m Shedeur or I’m Deion (Sanders), uh, I like that he’s there. I think he’s get he gets a chance to really get coached up well and playing behind a veteran like Flacco. He gets to watch and learn, you know, how to be a pro, that, you know, it’s something that I didn’t necessarily get. So I think that’s really positive for him.”

Well, Stefanski has surely won a couple of Coach of the Year honors. And many will argue that he has gained expertise in coaching a quarterback. However, his QB decisions haven’t been up to the mark in the past few years. Whether it’s Deshaun Watson’s signing a few years back or a crowded QB room this year. However, Aikman is optimistic about the HC when it comes to coaching Shedeur. But we’ll see if he’ll be able to deliver this year or not.

Meanwhile, following months of four-way quarterback competition, Stefanksi and the Browns announced Flacco as the Week 1 starter for the 2025 regular season. However, amidst all the chaos and side-eyes, Troy Aikman added another layer to it. He kept it straightforward. Even though Shedeur turned heads during the OTAs and training camp, he was buried in the depth chart.

And Aikman believes that the fifth-round pick has an opportunity to play behind Flacco and learn before getting the QB1 job. A luxury that Aikman never had, given that the Cowboys threw him straight into the fire, making him the first rookie QB since Roger Staubach to start a season opener. We’ll see how well Shedeur Sanders develops in his rookie season.