Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns‘ highly publicized fifth-round rookie quarterback, came into the NFL after a standout college career at Jackson State and Colorado.
With the Buffaloes, he led the FBS in completion percentage (74%) and posted a 2024 season with 3,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns, earning national awards and recognition before entering the 2025 NFL Draft.
That’s why Browns fans, pundits, and local radio voices have been urging Cleveland to give Sanders more minutes for weeks now as the offense has struggled behind Dillon Gabriel.
Despite the team sitting at 2-7, Sanders had yet to take a regular-season NFL snap, that is, until Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
Gabriel left the Browns‑Ravens game early in the third quarter while being evaluated for a concussion, and Shedeur Sanders replaced him and took snaps thereafter.
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Cleveland’s rookie class — including both Sanders and Gabriel — has been a focal point of the front office’s longer‑term plan, even as the team’s losing record amplified fan calls for immediate change and for evaluating quarterback alternatives on game day.
Sanders played three preseason games for the Browns, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards against the Panthers in his debut on Aug. 8.
He then missed the second preseason game with an oblique injury before returning in the preseason finale vs. the Rams (Aug. 23), in which he went 3-of-6 for 14 yards and was sacked five times in limited action.
Prior to Sunday’s action against Baltimore, Sanders had also missed some time with a back issue, which affected practice availability and, subsequently, his availability for regular-season games.
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Bringing Sanders onto the field under live conditions allows the team to make a legitimate, informed assessment of whether the rookie can be part of the franchise’s quarterback plan or is better served learning behind a veteran through the season’s end.
If Sanders shows poise, accuracy under duress, and trajectory in live play, the Browns’ staff will face pressure to accelerate his development and clarify the depth chart.
If not, the organization will likely pivot right back to Gabriel.