Overview

• During the August 16 First Take broadcast, McNutt tied comedian Druski’s backward-worn Detroit Lions No. 20 jersey to Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders before he interjected to identify it as Hall of Famer Barry Sanders’s uniform.
• Woodward Sports Network’s post of the clip on X propelled it to viral status and drew national commentary on ESPN’s editorial competence.
• Prominent voices including Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy criticized the error as evidence of the network’s misguided talent choices and overemphasis on the Shedeur Sanders narrative.
• McNutt delivered an on-air apology but ESPN has not reported any formal disciplinary measures or program reversals in response to the incident.
• The mix-up unfolded amid continued attention on Shedeur Sanders’s record preseason debut viewership and his current absence with an oblique strain that has led Dillon Gabriel to start in his place.