The Cleveland Browns took the field in Charlotte against the Carolina Panthers, and Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders electrified in his NFL debut.
Sanders, who received the start with Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel out due to hamstring injuries and head coach Kevin Stefan’s opting to sit 42-year-old Joe Flacco, went 11 of 18 for 103 passing yards, two touchdowns, 20 rushing yards, and 113.9 passer rating in the first half.
The day started slow, with Sanders’ first pass being dropped by former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
Yet, in the next drives, Sanders started to get comfortable, and his best play may have been his second touchdown pass, where he threaded the needle to Kaden Davis for a 13 yard touchdown pass.
All in all, Sanders ended his day 14 of 23 with 138 yards passing, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 106.8 passer rating to round out his night.
Sanders is in a four-way position battle to become the Browns’s starting quarterback, after being selected in the fifth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Browns. He was one of two rookies drafted by Cleveland, with the other being Gabriel.
The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders started his college career playing for Deion at Jackson State, before following him to Colorado.
He helped turn around the Buffaloes program and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 2024. Shedeur was also named a second-team All-American last season, as well as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
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