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Shedeur Sanders spoke about the grim reality of playing in the NFL as he led the Cleveland Browns to a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first career start on Sunday.
Sanders’ performance wasn’t the prettiest. He was 11 of 20 with 209 passing yards, a touchdown pass and an interception. He completed a nice 54-yard run to Isaiah Bond, then threw a throw to Dylan Sampson, who ran it for a 66-yard touchdown.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) throws the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on November 23, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
The rookie quarterback said he was grateful for the opportunity, but understood that the lack of reps with the first-team offense was no excuse for completing just 55 percent of his passes and finishing the game with an 87.3 passer rating.
“Everyone starts in different places. Like I said, just because I didn’t get the summer reps just because I wasn’t in the best situation to prepare to go out there and execute from a summer standpoint — that’s the way life is,” he said. “Not everyone is in the best situation. But that’s no excuse. I have to go out there and play. There’s no choice. There’s no doubt.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) talks with head coach Kevin Stefanski in the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on November 23, 2025. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images)
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“No one cares if it was a week of prep. Who cares? So a lot of people want to see me fail – that’s not going to happen. It’s not going to happen.”
Sanders started in place of Dillon Gabriel, who suffered a concussion. He called it surreal to be able to go out and play for the Browns after being a fifth-round pick in the spring.
He vowed to correct some of the small errors over time.
“There is only one way, and the only way is up,” he said.
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With the victory, Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first NFL start since Eric Zeier in 1995. Zeier was a third-round draft pick out of Georgia. He made his first start on October 29, 1995, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime. The Browns finished 5-11 that year and moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens in 1996.
