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NBA champion Kendrick Perkins fired a fiery rant about Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders as the quarterback prepares to make the second start of his NFL career.
Perkins, an ESPN analyst who has had his share of fiery opinions before, compared Sanders to former President Barack Obama in a recent podcast appearance.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) smiles as he chats on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field on November 16, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Jeff Lange/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“You ready for this take? Shedeur Sanders is the most powerful black man since 2009. You know what happened in 2009? That’s when President Obama was elected to office. He’s the most powerful black man since 2009,” Perkins said on “LGND TLK.”
“That’s why I’m saying it. You said you sat there and watched the game in your house and what did you do? You ran with the TV. … What did you do? You cheered like a motherf—er. When Shedeur Sanders is on the field, that’s the only time I see black people come together as one, drop all the swords. There’s nobody rooting for black people…
EX-NFL STAR PRAISES SHEDEUR SANDERS FOR ‘MENTAL TOUGHNESS’ TO COME BACK FROM BAD DEBUT TO BEAT RAIDERS
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders arrives before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Nov. 23, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“And when I say powerful, there are two sides to it. He brings the whole black community together. I haven’t come across one black person who’s said a bad thing about Shedeur. Not one, because he has the balance. He has the balance of, ‘I’m arrogant, but I’m also humble.’ And he’s having fun with this s—. … He’s the most powerful black man in sports. You know what, f— Black man, he’s the most powerful player in sports. Because even when he’s not playing, he’s still being talked about.”
Sanders has appeared in just two NFL games this season. The Browns selected him in the fifth round of the draft back in the spring, and he had to work his way up to become the starter.
The former Colorado standout has shown how ready he is and how much confidence he has in his abilities as a football player. His debut against the Baltimore Ravens went much differently than the win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
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The Browns gave him the nod for Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers.
