After winning his first career NFL regular-season start on Sunday, Shedeur Sanders received some support from league executives to remain the Cleveland Browns starter moving forward this season.
Speaking to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, an anonymous NFL exec said, “I would definitely play it out for a while and see what you have with him.”
Despite incumbent starter Dillon Gabriel clearing concussion protocol, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has already committed to Sanders as the team’s starter in Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers.
After struggling in relief of the injured Gabriel in a Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Sanders fared better against the Las Vegas Raiders with a full week of preparation as the starter.
▶️ Full Browns-Raiders Recap
Sanders completed 11 of his 20 passing attempts for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and he only took one sack against a Maxx Crosby-led defense.
His one touchdown was a swing pass to running back Dylan Sampson that Sampson took 66 yards to the house, but Sanders had some legitimately impressive throws, including a 39-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy and a 52-yard strike to Isaiah Bond:
It was far from a perfect performance from Sanders, but a second NFL executive seemed to like what they saw overall, telling Howe, “He looked fine, like he’s got a chance [to be a starter]. He made a couple of nice plays and throws; he also had a few rookie mistakes.”
That same exec praised Sanders’ toughness, saying, “I’ll give him credit, he’s tough, just like he was in college.”
Playing for his father, Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, at the University of Colorado for two years, Shedeur put up big numbers and took home Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors during his final season with the Buffaloes.
He was expected to be in the running to be the first quarterback off the board in the 2025 NFL draft, but Sanders shockingly fell all the way to 144th overall in the fifth round.
It was perhaps fair to question at that point if Sanders’ drop had more to do with personality, attitude or other factors not related to his on-field play.
Despite that, the first exec praised Sanders’ demeanor when talking to Howe, saying, “I like his confidence. It doesn’t turn me off at all.”
Sanders began training camp as the Browns’ fourth-string quarterback, but he has worked his way all the way up to the starting role, and he may be given a legitimate shot to win the job for 2026.
The Browns have the option of selecting a franchise quarterback early in the 2026 NFL draft, but Sanders could make them think twice if he plays well down the stretch.
Beating the Raiders was a solid start, but with some games against playoff contenders such as the Niners, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers still on tap this season, Sanders will get a chance to prove himself against legitimate competition provided he keeps the starting job in the coming weeks.