Shedeur Sanders gave the fans what they came to see on Friday night.
The Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Sanders drew the start during his team’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. At the start of the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Sanders and the Browns were facing a 2nd-and-goal from the Panthers’ seven-yard line.
Sanders rolled out to his left and found wide receiver Kaden Davis, firing a laser in between multiple defenders for the touchdown pass. Here is the video.
we're on the board#CLEvsCAR on NFLN, @WEWS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/TXCvXCbGWM
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 8, 2025
After firing the strike, Sanders proceeded to hit his signature watch celebration.
Shedeur Sanders fits this in a tight window going to his left.
Extremely difficult throw & you couldn’t place it any better. Excellent. pic.twitter.com/o4ndgi1ef4
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) August 8, 2025
Sanders did the celebration all throughout college, and it was even once imitated by Caitlin Clark. Now Sanders is busting out the celebration again now after throwing his first NFL touchdown (albeit of the preseason variety).
The 23-year-old Sanders also had a nice sequence in the first quarter where he scrambled for a first down on a 3rd-and-9 play.
Shedeur with the first down scramble!
CLEvsCAR on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/R7Py2apL36
— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025
The former Colorado star Sanders is facing a very tough competition for the starting QB job in Cleveland and was recently even the subject of speculation that he might be cut. But Sanders got his opportunity in Friday’s preseason opener with Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel both nursing hamstring injuries, and he made the most of it.