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NBA champion Kendrick Perkins fired off a scorching hot take about Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders as the quarterback gets ready to make the second start of his NFL career.
Perkins, an analyst on ESPN 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) is all smiles as he chats on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Nov. 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 got elected into office. He’s the most powerful Black man since 2009,” Perkins said on “LGND TLK.”
“Here’s why I say that. You said you were sitting there watching the game in your house, and what you did? You ran with the TV. … What were you doing? You were cheering like a motherf—er. When Shedeur Sanders is on the field, this is the only time that I see what Black people come together as one, drop all the swords. There’s no Black people beefing on nothing across … Everybody rooting for Shedeur Sanders.
EX-NFL STAR PRAISES SHEDEUR SANDERS FOR ‘MENTAL TOUGHNESS’ TO BOUNCE BACK FROM POOR 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’s two sides of it. He’s bringing the whole Black community together. I ain’t ran across one Black person that has said one bad thing about Shedeur. Not one because he has the balance. He has the balance of, ‘I’m arrogant but I’m humble too.’ 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 getting talked about. “
Sanders has only appeared in 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 poised 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.
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