This past Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Cleveland Browns secured their first victory in over a month and did so with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders making his first career start.
Sanders, 23, went from being a projected first-round pick to falling into the fifth round, where the Browns drafted him with the No. 144 overall pick. He started the season as the emergency quarterback before moving up to the backup position behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. Following an injury to Gabriel, Sanders got his shot and became the first Browns quarterback since 1995 to win his first-career start.
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In the team’s 24-10 win, Sanders completed 11-of-20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Arguably, the best part of his first-career start was that his father, Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, was able to attend the game despite the Colorado Buffaloes, whom he coaches, having a game the night before.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
While the elder Sanders wouldn’t have had any issues getting seats of his own, Raiders owner Mark Davis made sure that the NFL legend was comfy. As revealed in an Instagram post where Sanders thanked Davis for his hospitality, the Colorado head coach joined the team’s owner in his luxury box.
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“Thank u so much Mr. Mark Davis. Your heart & hospitality was & is INCREDIBLE! You allowed the QB of the opposing teams’ Father to enjoy the game in your Luxury Box,” Sanders wrote. “That BLESSED me truly.”
Sanders also revealed that this marked the first time he had ever watched his son play and wasn’t his coach.
Unfortunately for the Buffs, they likely would have loved it if Shedeur Sanders returned to college this season, as the team’s 42-17 loss to Arizona State this past Saturday dropped them to 3-8 on the season. They will finish out the season on Saturday against Kansas State, who is one win away from being bowl eligible.
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As for his son, it was confirmed that he will make another start this weekend, leading the Browns against the San Francisco 49ers.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Nov 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.