TV Ratings For Shedeur Sanders’ Preseason Debut Speak Volumes originally appeared on The Spun.
Shedeur Sanders might be the most polarizing rookie in the NFL this year. One thing is certain though: He’s moving the needle.
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According to Nielsen via The Sporting News on X, 2.2 million people tuned in to see Sanders play for the Browns against the Carolina Panthers last week. Sanders was given the starting nod for the preseason game and promptly had one of the best performances of any rookie in the league, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns while adding 19 yards on the ground.
Not that the outcome really matters, but Cleveland went on to win 30-10.
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But NFL fans weren’t quite as impressed by the figure some others. A few users who saw the announcement on X pointed out that it’s probably less to do with Shedeur and more to do with their five-month football drought finally being ended by something, even if it was just an exhibition game.
“The Hall of Fame game drew 3x more,” one user pointed out on X.
“It’s almost like that was the FIRST NFL game in months,” another noted.
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“It was a Friday-night, preseason game on NFL Net; also, lots of degenerate gamblers out there,” a third remarked.
“Yeah. But they’re pretending like this number is unique. Saints/Texans in the preseason did over 4 million two years ago.”
Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) celebrates his touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium.Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images.
There might be some truth to that. It has been six months since the last NFL football game. And as passionate about some fanbases might be for the UFL, it’s just not the same vibe as an NFL game.
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That being said, the amount of buzz that went into breaking down Sanders’ performance against the Panthers last week shows that the many fans who followed his college career are clearly following him to the NFL.
Whether or not those fans stay tuned in if and when Sanders doesn’t play on Sundays for a while remains to be seen.
TV Ratings For Shedeur Sanders’ Preseason Debut Speak Volumes first appeared on The Spun on Aug 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.