After most of the season without significant playing time, Shedeur Sanders received his opportunity in Sunday’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders and delivered a strong performance. His showing provided Cleveland supporters with optimism not seen since the early period of Baker Mayfield’s tenure.
Similar to Mayfield’s approach early in his career, Sanders has acknowledged those who doubted him as he begins his NFL trajectory.
When asked whether defeating the Raiders carried added meaning due to their reported pre-draft interest, Sanders responded about being skipped in the draft and not just by Las Vegas.
“I was a fifth-round pick; I got skipped by everybody. At least five times. So it just comes with the game. It is what it is. I’m just thankful for where I am now. I still got an opportunity to play, so why can I be mad? Money’s different, but thankfully I have a good family. We’re not playing for that, we’re playing for the love of the game,” Shedeur said.
Powerful: Browns star rookie QB Shedeur Sanders talks about every team passing on him in the draft.
“I got skipped by everybody—at least 5 times. I still got an opportunity to play, so why can I be mad? Money’s different, thankfully I got a good family.”
Shedeur was clearly… pic.twitter.com/96pocsZsVh
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 28, 2025
Sanders Shows Early Promise Despite Rocky Start
Shedeur Sanders has had a whirlwind stretch since leaving Colorado. Despite an impressive college career that once had him projected as a first-round pick, he slipped all the way to the fifth round, sparking all kinds of theories about what went wrong.
He opened the year buried at fourth on the Cleveland Browns’ depth chart, then moved into the number two role after the team traded away Joe Flacco. His debut came when Dillon Gabriel went down with a concussion against the Ravens, but it wasn’t the start he hoped for.
Sanders finished with 47 yards and an interception on four-of-16 passing, and Kevin Stefanski later noted it was his first time working with the starters.
On Sunday (Week 12), Sanders made the most of his opportunity, throwing for 209 yards, a touchdown, and an interception on eleven-of-20 passing in a 24-10 win against the Raiders.
He showed flashes of the talent people saw in college, a brief demonstration of what he is capable of at the professional level. He’s still a long way from being a full-time NFL starter, but his performance suggests promise.
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Bruce Drennan Delivers Bad News To Browns Fans For Sunday’s Game