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Shedeur Sanders has officially been named the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback for Sunday.
Sanders will get his first NFL start against the Las Vegas Raiders after appearing in Sunday’s game for Dillon Gabriel, who suffered a concussion. In what has been a short but whirlwind tenure in the NFL, Sanders could barely contain his excitement before Wednesday’s practice.
“It’s going to be exciting. I know a lot of you will be there. You can’t miss it. You can’t miss this moment. It’ll definitely be exciting. We’re going there with a purpose – mentally ready, no distractions, nothing. I’ll be excited.”
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders runs down the field during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)
Head coach Kevin Stefanski is doing everything he can to make sure the fifth-round pick is “comfortable” in his new role.
“You always try to do that with all your players – make sure they’re comfortable. It’s no different with Shedeur. You want to make sure all the concepts are things he’s confident in. Having been around him over the months, you have a good idea of what’s right for him, so to speak. So you really want to lean into those things, and he works really hard,” Stefanski told reporters Wednesday.
Last week was Sanders’ first in-game action since the preseason, which was also limited for the Colorado alum as he dealt with a shoulder injury. This didn’t go well. He completed just four of his 16 pass attempts, threw an interception and clearly looked a little uncomfortable.
“I’m my own biggest critic,” Sanders told reporters shortly after Stefanski’s speech. “Will there be mistakes? Of course. But there won’t be that many. Just try to minimize them as much as possible.”
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talks with quarterback Shedeur Sanders during training camp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on July 26, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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But Stefanski said Sanders took as many notes as possible and exchanged ideas with the rest of the quarterback room.
“Obviously, more time and more reps, period, is always better,” Stefanski said. “I think as quarterbacks, they sit in that room and watch a lot of tape together. So you watch the receivers, and sometimes you don’t get a reputation, but you see how those guys come out. So that’s what you have to do as backups. Shedeur does that, all of our guys do that. When you don’t get that reputation, you just take mental notes on how guys come out of breaks. And there’s a lot of dialogue at that subject, certainly with the quarterbacks.
Sanders said he gained “a lot” of knowledge during his film sessions with Stefanski and the coaching staff, but the best experience for him was getting on the field.
“I’m more of a feeling type of guy. That’s how I learn. That’s how I do everything,” he said. “I’m not just going to watch it, and it’s just going to happen. No, I have to be out there, feel it, move around. There are so many details that I need to do to feel better and play my best. And I’m doing everything in my power, and the team is doing everything to help me prepare.”
When asked if Sanders had a chance to remain the starter with a good performance against Las Vegas, Stefanski said he was “focused on this game.” Sanders echoed this.
“When you start moving too fast in life, sometimes you miss little details, so I never want to overlook anything,” said Sanders, who was widely considered a top-five overall pick but then fell to the fifth round.
Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns warms up before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field on November 16, 2025, in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
But Sanders, who will become the 42nd starting quarterback since the team returned to Cleveland in 1999, hopes and predicts that he is the future of a franchise that is desperate for an answer.
“I know our fans have a lot of expectations and hopes. And I would be doing myself and the organization a disservice if I didn’t feel like the guy,” Sanders said. “I did everything I needed to do – I do everything I needed to – to prepare and be the best version of myself. With the circumstances, everything has to be accelerated, and that’s great. I like pressure in life.
“I’m just excited about everything. I feel like I’m the guy. I know I’m the guy. But, you know, we’ll just have to see. The game has to do the talking.”
