Shedeur Sanders made quite an impression during his first taste of NFL action and the Cleveland Browns are noticing his efforts. During the team’s 2025 preseason opener, the rookie QB was a key figure in the 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers, showcasing why he had such hype entering before the professional ranks.
In that much-talked-about pre-season game, Shedeur Sanders tallied 14-of-23 for 138 yards along with two touchdowns without getting a single interception. The fifth-round pick was working with limited reps during training camp and this was the kind of performance that will shake up the crowded QB room entering the 2025 NFL season.
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Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) reacts after the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The Browns entered training camp boasting five quarterbacks in their depth chart, with Joe Flacco classified as QB1. Following Flacco are Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Tyler Huntley– all battling for roster slots as the Browns will only take three QBs as NFL Week 1 approaches.
After reviewing the game against the Panthers, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and his staff released an updated depth chart. In a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Shedeur Sanders rises at QB4, still behind Flacco, Pickett and Gabriel.
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Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) at the line of scrimmage in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Cleveland Browns insider Tony Grossi speaks out after getting checked by Shedeur Sanders
Tony Grossi comes out to address the viral postgame video with rookie Shedeur Sanders telling him ‘Why do you hate me?’. The Browns insider shed light on what happened and how both of them ended up laughing amidst the shaky QB situation with the Browns.
“After [Sanders] got off the podium and was walking to the locker room, I was behind him and – not shouted – called his name for him to stop; I wanted to ask him one more question. So he didn’t come directly to me; I actually came to him first, and we’re both laughing at the end.”
“He started saying, ‘Why do you hate me?’ And my response was, ‘Listen, I do say positives; I write positive things about you.’ And I said, ‘This is your big night; congrats, you had a big night.’”
Grossi congratulated Sanders for an impressive 138 yards and two touchdown performance agaisn the Panthers and insisted that he did write postive things about him. Nonetheless, fans still percieve that Grossi’s reporting has been biased to Sanders.
Shedeur Sanders, prior to entering the NFL draft, had high draft stock, and it quickly plummeted resulting in a fifth-round pick for the sone of NFL legend Deion Sanders. Many still believe that there is racial bias on the Browns rookie that made the huge slide.
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Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) celebrates after a touchdown in the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-The USAToday Network via Imagn Images
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