The Browns made a key quarterback adjustment ahead of Week 12, setting the stage for a significant opportunity under center as Shedeur Sanders prepares to face the Raiders
23:55 ET, 22 Nov 2025
Shedeur Sanders will start against the Raiders
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Shedeur Sanders will start against the Raiders(Image: Getty)
The Cleveland Browns are turning the page again at quarterback, and this time the spotlight shifts squarely onto rookie Shedeur Sanders as he prepares for his first NFL start.
Ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Browns elevated Bailey Zappe from the practice squad to back him up, days after Cam Newton publicly aired the Browns head coach for his treatment of Sanders.
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Zappe has spent the season on Cleveland’s practice squad, but he’s far from inexperienced. The former fourth-round pick has appeared in nine NFL starts over three seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots, where he threw for 2,223 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
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Cleveland brought him in late last year, and he closed out the 2024 regular season by starting against the Baltimore Ravens, completing 51% of his passes for 170 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a 35–10 loss.
After a brief preseason stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he completed 15 of 27 passes for 104 yards and two interceptions, Zappe returned to Cleveland as insurance.
That insurance is needed now. Dillon Gabriel, who started the last five games for the Browns, was ruled out after suffering a concussion against Baltimore. Although Gabriel practiced Friday, he did not clear protocol, clearing the way for Sanders’ debut.
Zappe has spent the season on Cleveland’s practice squad
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Zappe has spent the season on Cleveland’s practice squad(Image: Getty)
Sanders’ first NFL action came last week in relief, where he completed four passes for 47 yards and threw an interception. But Cleveland isn’t treating this start as a simple developmental opportunity.
According to Dianna Russini of 'The Athletic,' Sanders has attacked the week with a sense of urgency. “One staffer told me they’ve seen him in the cafeteria, tray in front of him, iPad out, dissecting Raiders tape as if his career depended on it. Because, in many ways, it does,” Russini reported.
She added: “He’s not in the league simply to fill a roster spot; he’s here to make a statement. Sunday isn’t just a first start. It’s Sanders’ opportunity to rewrite the narrative, and he’s determined to do just that, even if not many people believe he’ll be able to do it.”
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Sanders showed encouraging flashes in the preseason. Against the Carolina Panthers, he threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, displaying poise and command for a rookie.
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His appearance against the Los Angeles Rams was more turbulent, as he completed 3 of 6 passes for 14 yards and was sacked five times, but the Browns believe the physical traits and competitive temperament are there.
Now he’ll get his first chance to prove it in the regular season. And Sanders isn’t hiding from the expectation.
“I know our fans have a lot of expectations and hope, and I would be doing a disservice to myself and disservice to the organization if I didn’t feel like I am the guy,” Sanders said. “I feel like I’m the guy, I know I’m the guy, but you just have to be able to see. The game got to speak.”