Shedeur Sanders Gets Hard Introduction To NFL Speed
Shedeur Sanders’ long-awaited NFL debut arrived earlier than expected and under difficult circumstances, as the Cleveland Browns turned to the rookie in the second half of Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders replaced fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who left the game with a concussion after starting the first half. Without practice-week reps as the top quarterback, Sanders stepped into a tight AFC North matchup and encountered the type of NFL growing pains many young passers face.
The fifth-round draft pick finished 4-of-16 for 47 yards with one interception. He was sacked twice and lost a fumble that Cleveland recovered. The Browns did not score during his time under center.
After the performance, Sanders offered a candid assessment of his performance.
“I don’t think I played good at all,” he said, adding that timing and communication with receivers – something usually built through weeks of coordinated practice – were among the challenges he felt most.
Cleveland opened the afternoon with a 13-0 lead, but momentum shifted after halftime as Baltimore surged ahead. Gabriel had thrown for 79 yards before leaving, and head coach Kevin Stefanski said he would return to the starting role if he clears concussion protocol this week.
Sanders, drafted 144th overall, entered the league after a prolific college career in which he threw for more than 4,000 yards during his final season. Sunday marked his first NFL action, and his lack of live-game chemistry with the starting unit was evident in missed timing routes and stalled drives.
Despite the rough debut, coaches and teammates noted Sanders’ composure in the huddle and willingness to take accountability. He emphasized that the start of his professional career in sports is a process, not a finished product.”There’s a lot we’ll clean up,” he said.
With Cleveland navigating uncertainty at quarterback and the season still young, Sanders’ development will remain a storyline ahead of Week 12. His debut did not deliver the splash many hoped for – but it offered a baseline for growth as the Browns’ evaluate Gabriel’s injury.
