Shedeur Sanders made an electric NFL debut for the Cleveland Browns in his first preseason outing. The enigmatic rookie quarterback threw for 138 passing yards and two touchdowns, completing 14 of his 23 passes with zero turnovers. He also ran for 19 rushing yards on four carries.
Sanders’ statement performance led to a 30-10 victory for the Browns, who will have to take an even closer look at their quarterback competition moving forward. While veteran Joe Flacco will likely start the season at the QB1 helm, the early-summer rumors of Cleveland cutting Sanders are certainly a thing of the past.
Andscape’s William Rhoden compared Sanders to former Browns signal-caller Baker Mayfield, deeming the former Colorado football star the most exciting player in Cleveland’s crowded quarterback room.
“In terms of swagger and excitement creation, Sanders is a reincarnation of Baker Mayfield, who played four seasons in Cleveland before being jettisoned in 2021. The organization has been in quarterback limbo ever since,” Rhoden wrote. “Now the Browns have a room with four quarterbacks, and the most exciting player among them, potentially, is the polarizing Sanders. For critics who felt Sanders’ stock dropped simply because he was a young Black man with too much swagger, Friday’s performance was confirmation that Deion Sanders’ son is no fifth-round draft pick.”
Sanders has faced more obstacles off the field than your everyday fifth-round pick since he was drafted, but Coach Prime’s son has passed every test with flying colors.
Deion spoke to the media about the conversations he had with Shedeur before his son’s preseason debut. The CU Buffs head coach sent a message on Shedeur’s mindset, explaining that the Browns rookie was ready to approach the contest like a regular game rather than a preseason game.
“He don’t get caught up in all the rhetoric in the media. He’s far beyond that,” Deion said.
If any outside noise has affected Shedeur behind the scenes, he hasn’t shown it this offseason. The talented rookie seems primed to run Cleveland’s offense at some point this season.
