Nearly two months after burglars broke into the home of NFL quarterback Shedeur Sanders as he made his debut for the Cleveland Browns, arrests have been made in the case.
According to the Medina County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office, three suspects were arrested in connection with the case, along with the driver of a getaway vehicle. A fourth suspect remains at large with a warrant out for his arrest. Authorities are considering their investigation into the break-in as complete and are not naming any other suspects.
During the Browns’ Nov. 16 game vs. the Baltimore Ravens, the three men allegedly entered Sanders’ home in Granger Township, a suburb of Cleveland. Surveillance footage captured the men entering wearing masks and gloves and staying for no longer than 15 minutes. Authorities believe they took more than $200,000 worth of personal property from the residence.
In a news conference shortly after the break-in, Sanders remained poised about the incident.
“Mentally and emotionally, I’m in a great place overall,” he said. “In life, there’s always gonna be adversity, and things aren’t always gonna go as planned, but I would say I’m prepared for anything.”
Sanders, a fifth-round pick out of Colorado and son of current Buffaloes coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, became the Browns’ full-time starter from Nov. 23 on, finishing his rookie campaign throwing for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. The Browns ended the year on a two-game winning streak, with wins against the rival Steelers and Bengals.
Throughout his rookie year, Sanders felt the spotlight on him due to his name and his fall in the draft. At several points, he handled tough questions from the media with grace, doing his best to avoid being baited.
During a post-game interview following the Browns’ 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Sanders side-stepped a question that called out then head coach Kevin Stefanski’s decision to be aggressive on two fourth down calls that ultimately didn’t pan out.
“I like being out there playing. So, whatever that comes with, it comes with, you know? We’re not gonna be and ever point fingers at coach or do anything like that. That’s extremely disrespectful, and that’s not even in my place. I’m thankful for being out there, honestly, and I’m thankful that he trusts us as an offense to be able to go out there and be able to execute. Did we execute? No, we didn’t. But, you know, I’m just thankful that we have that trust.”
Stefanksi was fired on Monday (Jan. 5). The Browns are currently searching for a new head coach.
