Seahawks QB Sam Darnold offers sage advice to Shedeur Sanders ahead of rookie season

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold engaged in several starting competitions during his NFL career, and offered sage advice to Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders ahead of his rookie season — be a good teammate.

Darnold, who signed a free agent deal with Seattle after spending last season with the Minnesota Vikings, warned the fifth-round pick from Colorado to get along with others taking part in the quarterback battle in Cleveland.

“The biggest thing is having respect, having respect for the teammates you’re competing with,” Darnold told Fox News earlier this month. “I was in a quarterback competition in Carolina with Baker (Mayfield) and me and Baker are still really close to this day. We both had a genuine, like, respect for one another. It wasn’t always clear who was getting the 1s or the 2-reps that day, but when our number was called, (we) went out there. 

“In those individual drills that day, if I was able to get the (first-team) reps, like Baker would let me take Christian (McCaffery) or D.J. Moore on a route. It was always kind of that respect.”

The Browns begin OTA workouts next week with four additions headlining an active quarterback room featuring veteran Joe Flacco, recent trade acquisition Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Sanders.

And with Deshaun Watson recovering from an Achilles injury, an early favorite for starting quarterback honors is emerging. According to Browns beat writer Mary Cay Cabot of Cleveland.com, don’t expect Gabriel or Sanders to see much playing time, at least early in their careers.

FanDuel Sportsbook’s early odds suggest over 3.5 wins for the Browns (-280). Eclipsing 5.5 wins will be more of a challenge in Cleveland (+125).

“I think, whether it’s Shedeur or anyone else, I think just having respect for those guys in the quarterback room and helping everybody get better is the biggest thing, especially at this point in the season,” Darnold said. “When you do that, you get better yourself more than you even know.”

Despite receiving numerous early-round projections, Sanders has not expressed concern with why he tumbled and instead is focused on the next step of his career in the NFL.

“I think what happened was I had a great interview and a great process with the Browns and that’s why they were able to pick me,” Sanders said. “Anything outside the organization is really a non-factor to me now. This is my focus.”