Shedeur Sanders became the 42nd quarterback to start a game for the Cleveland Browns since the franchise’s return to the NFL in 1999 when he took the field in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders. What happened next? The fifth-round pick did the unthinkable. He won.
Sanders led the Browns to a 24-10 victory, completing 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception, becoming the first Cleveland quarterback to win his first NFL start since Eric Zeier in 1995. That’s not a typo. The franchise went 30 years before a rookie QB pulled off what Sanders just managed in his debut.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Shedeur Sanders is a lightning rod. Like Tim Tebow. Like Johnny Manziel. The kind of quarterback who generates visceral, opposing reactions across sports media and fan bases. You either believe in him or you think he’s nothing but bravado and his father’s name. There’s almost no middle ground. And that’s exactly why the Browns have nothing to lose by continuing to start him.
The NFL is a business, and Sanders, like his father Deion Sanders, sells jerseys. He drives conversation. Furthermore, he fills the air waves with passionate takes. Some see passion, leadership, and grit. Others see ego wrapped in a Colorado legacy. That divide won’t go away.
Lightning Rod Precedent: Tebow, Manziel, and the Questions That Matter
Tim Tebow arrived in the NFL in 2010 as college football royalty. A Heismann winner and the guy who could will his team to victories with pure heart. The NFL went absolutely crazy over him. Some thought he was a transcendent talent that was held back by bad systems. They said the skeptics didn’t understand his genius. Others thought he was exactly what he appeared to be: a quarterback with real limitations who benefited from elite defenses and evangelical fervor. Denver’s improbable 8-5 stretch in 2011 fed both narratives simultaneously.
Then came perhaps the ultimate lightning rod in Johnny Manziel. Johnny Football arrived in 2014 and sparked the same fire. Passionate defenders were absolutely convinced of his talent, and ardent detractors equally sure he was a selfish, arrogant athlete that couldn’t carry him in a real league. Both camps felt justified.
The careers of Tebow and Manziel never amounted to much. Tebow ranks 8th all-time on the greatest Broncos quarterbacks. It’s even worse for Manziel, as he ranks 38th all-time for the Browns at quarterback. But here’s what mattered: both raised questions that only the NFL could answer by letting them play.
Shedeur Sanders has elements of both lightning rods. The name recognition like Manziel and the true believers like Tebow’s most fervent supporters. College success that makes you wonder if his game translates or if it was scheme-dependent. We’re now in the midst of finding out, as Sanders and the Browns are back in action this weekend, hosting the San Francisco 49ers.
Quarterback Draft Capital College Resume Polarizing Factor
Tim Tebow 1st Round (2010) Heisman Winner, National Champion Religious faith + unconventional mechanics
Johnny Manziel 1st Round (2014) Heisman Winner Family name + lifestyle + arrogance
Shedeur Sanders 5th Round (2025) Colorado star, Hall of Fame father Father’s legacy + draft fall + media circus
Fifth-Round Fall Amplified the Divide
Sanders was a star at Colorado under his father before becoming the biggest story of the 2025 NFL Draft when he plummeted from a potential first-rounder to being taken by Cleveland in the fifth round. His believers pointed to Colorado’s success and said the NFL was wrong. His critics said the drop proved what they suspected: he couldn’t separate from his father’s shadow in real competition.
To be honest, the Browns did treat Sanders like a long-shot, and that has some justification. QB4 on the depth chart. No first-team reps in training camp. One preseason start against Carolina where he looked promising (14 of 23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns) and another against the Rams where he bombed. The organization’s skepticism was built into his role.
That’s not coddling and that’s not protection. That is an entire franchise-level question mark. The Browns didn’t hide him because they believed in him. They hid him because they didn’t know.
Sitting on the Bench Can Lead to G.O.A.T. Status
Three out of the top four quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Patrick Mahomes) all sat and watched their first year. That narrative has become gospel. But there’s a problem with using it as a reason to bench Sanders. He’s already played. He’s already won.
HeyTC’s Daily QB Rankings, where Patrick Mahomes leads all NFL quarterbacks while Shedeur Sanders ranks 32nd among starting quarterbacks. The gap is massive. It should be. Mahomes has a three-time Super Bowl champion resume. Sanders has one successful start. But that’s exactly why the Browns need to let this kid eat, and soaking up jersey sales and media attention isn’t so bad for Cleveland either.
Let Lightning Strike in Cleveland
Lightning rods are actually fun. Deion Sanders is the definition of fun. He remains polarizing. People either loved him or hated him. And the league was better for the debate. The same thing applies here. Shedeur generates conversation. He fills talk on X, podcasts, and YouTube.
For a franchise that’s cycled through 42 starting quarterbacks since 1999, having a compelling story matters. Media coverage is free marketing. But here’s the honest part: that’s secondary to whether Sanders can actually play. The fact that both are true – that he’s both polarizing AND possibly talented – is the awesome part for fans.
Keeping Dillon Gabriel in because he was drafted higher is a sunk-cost fallacy. Keeping Sanders out because of the controversy is cowardice. Let the kid play and let the lightning rod do what it does.
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The founder of HeyTC.com, specializing in Daily QB Rankings. In 2014, he founded Sportsnaut and served as the Editor-in-Chief ... More about Malcolm Michaels