There may have been a reason why the Cleveland Browns waited until the fifth round to draft quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders came into the game in the second half against the Baltimore Ravens when winning 16-10.
USATSI 27609918 168400517 lowres
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) throws during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Nov. 16, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Baltimore won the game over Cleveland by a final score of 23-16. When he was in the ball game, the offense could not generate any offense whatsoever. Sanders was 4-for-16 with 47 yards passing and one interception. He did not play well at all. With this being the case, there are many fans that believe that a franchise quarterback is not currently in the building.
ESPN Cleveland Radio Analyst Believes That the Cleveland Browns Fanbase Is Wrong For Already Turning On Shedeur Sanders
USATSI 27608800 168400517 lowres
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) is hit by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson (32) during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Nov. 16, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Tony Rizzo of ESPN Cleveland Radio was talking about the fallout from Sanders’s performance against the Ravens on Sunday. He believes that there is a lot of blame on head coach Kevin Stefanski for not getting him ready properly.
Also, Rizzo thinks that this fanbase is being ridiculous for wanting to turn on Sanders already for one bad performance. He said,
“Everyone wants to bury this kid after 15 minutes of football, I think it’s ridiculous.”
Sanders actually played the entire second half with Dillon Gabriel being in concussion protocol. With this being the case, it will be interesting to see if Gabriel will be able to play against the Raiders next week or not. If he can’t, will Stefanski be willing to give Sanders first team reps all week long and let him play or not?
If Sanders doesn’t play and if it isn’t Gabriel either, then Bailey Zappe could very well be the starting quarterback. Rizzo can defend Sanders all he wants to, but the odds are that this coaching staff may not have much interest in playing him or letting him succeed for that matter.
For More Great Football Content
Follow me on Twitter at @glennkaplan13 more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional football, click here!