The Cleveland Browns saw rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders come through with a breakout performance in Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans, although the team was unable to pick up a win.
Sanders flashed big-time potential against a porous Titans’ defense, completing 23 of his 42 pass attempts for 364 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He also ran for 29 yards and a touchdown on three attempts.
Granted, it’s just one game against a bad team. However, Sanders has started turning some heads and making people wonder whether or not he could actually be the long-term quarterback for the Browns.
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On Thursday, Cleveland took to social media to share a major announcement about Sanders.
As expected by many, Sanders has been named the Rookie of the Week.
“had this award on lock. 12 is just getting started,” the post read.
When he slid to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, many were confused. Sanders has elite arm potential, although there are still a lot of areas he needs to improve. However, the talent he has showcased since taking over the starting job for the Browns has been impressive.
There is still a lot of work left to be done to prove to the team that he should enter 2026 as the starter, Sanders is off to a great start.
In his first four career games played, the 23-year-old quarterback has thrown for 769 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions, while completing 52.4 percent of his passes and rushing for 50 yards and a score.
To be a long-term franchise quarterback, Sanders will need to improve his completion percentage dramatically. That number isn’t entirely on him. He has been playing behind a sub-par offensive line and his weapons aren’t elite.
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All of that being said, there are still four regular season games remaining. Kevin Stefanski has already announced that Sanders will remain the starter for the rest of the season. He’ll have four more games to prove that Cleveland should pass on a quarterback in the offseason.
Whether or not the franchise believes he can be the franchise face remains to be seen. Should he turn in more performances like he had against Tennessee, he might be able to do enough to be given the opportunity next season.
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