Shedeur Sanders got encouragement from an unlikely source Sunday after his brutal NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders got his first taste of NFL action against an ascending Ravens squad at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio. That taste was far more sour than sweet, as Sanders underperformed in front of an anxious home crowd.
The Colorado product replaced starter Dillon Gabriel coming out of halftime. Sanders finished with a rough 4/16 passing clip for 47 yards and an interception, which surprisingly doesn’t tell the whole story of how ill-prepared the rookie looked against a stout NFL defense.
Sanders failed to get rid of the ball multiple times with defenders lurking. He got sacked twice, costing the Browns 27 yards, and also got called for an intentional grounding penalty late in the fourth quarter. The Ravens’ defense mocked Sanders with his own celebration after one of those sacks.
A downtrodden Sanders sulked on the sidelines after the 23-16 Browns loss, which led to a wholesome moment with one of his friends turned foe. Ravens wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, who played alongside Sanders at Colorado, sat next to his former quarterback and tried to cheer him up.
From college to the pros, brothers for life. pic.twitter.com/AtWAiuzVQT
— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2025
Sunday’s game was one to forget for the pair of Colorado alums. Wester didn’t have an ideal night either, as the Ravens return specialist fumbled a possession away early in the second quarter.
The two shared the field for just one college season. Wester transferred to Colorado for his final year of college eligibility before getting drafted alongside Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft.