The mother of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has had enough of Rex Ryan’s criticism of her son. In an Instagram post, Pilar Sanders called the former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst “cancerous” and “evil.”
The controversy erupted after Shedeur told reporters he believes he could start for the Browns right now. Ryan responded harshly on ESPN’s “Get Up,” calling the rookie an “embarrassment.”
“Something’s missing with this kid. This kid talks and he runs his mouth. Like he said, ‘I can be a starting quarterback’ with his arms crossed like this. Get your ass in the front row and study and do all that. If I know, the whole league knows,” Ryan said. “Quit being an embarrassment that way. You’ve got the talent to be the quarterback, you should be. You should be embarrassed that you’re not the quarterback now.”
Rex Ryan on Shedeur Sanders: "This kid talks and he runs his mouth. Like he said, 'I can be a starting quarterback' with his arms crossed like this. Get your ass in the front row and study and do all that. If I know, the whole league knows. Quit being an embarrassment that way.… pic.twitter.com/onAE0caWKu
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 29, 2025
Mother Defends Son With Scathing Social Media Response
Once those comments reached Pilar, she fired back on social media.
“To young Athletes and Football fans… This is what impotent, cancerous, envious energy looks like,” she said. “This type of [Evil] goes waaay back – you can cut it with a knife – embedded in blood and bones seeping through all of the rotting worm holes it has.”
She continued: “What and who does he really represent? Its family and peers should be embarrassed to know him and give him their platforms. There’s no room for this type in sports.”
Pilar Sanders the mother of Shedeur had this to say.. And as she should. Because the way he was walking about Shedeur felt personal. pic.twitter.com/Em8rJ9Cfr8
— SayWhatYouMean (@Mystiq_Soul) September 29, 2025
Shedeur has faced his fair share of criticism since his days at Colorado. The Browns surprisingly selected him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after he dropped further than expected.
Despite Shedeur’s belief that he can start now for the Browns, he won’t get that opportunity quite yet. The team announced Wednesday that rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel — who was taken in the third round — will start Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in London after the benching of veteran Joe Flacco. Flacco will serve as the backup while Shedeur remains the No. 3 quarterback.
Shedeur has yet to make his regular season debut.
