CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 08: Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the first half of an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 08, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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After playing in relief for a concussed Dillon Gabriel last weekend versus the Baltimore Ravens, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be making his first NFL start this Sunday versus the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Browns came to this decision this morning as head coach Kevin Stefanski announced the news with Gabriel still in concussion protocol. The decision marks the completion of Sanders road up the depth chart from QB4 to QB1.
In relief of Gabriel last weekend, Sanders played the entire second-half and struggled throughout the matchup completing just four of his 16 pass attempts for 47 yards and an interception. After the game, Stefanski confirmed that it was Sanders first reps taken with the team’s offensive starters in any NFL setting.
While Sanders has let it be known at times throughout his pro career of his readiness to play, Browns management has brought along its fifth-round rookie rather slowly behind the scenes. In the team’s final preseason game versus the Rams, general manager Andrew Berry likened Sanders transition from the college to the pros as an individual who is “fluent in English and now you have to learn Mandarin,”
With Gabriel unable to practice this week due to being in concussion protocol, Sanders will get the first-team practice reps he was never able to receive since being on the team. Upon being drafted, Cleveland slotted the four-year collegiate starter behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Gabriel who was the franchise’s third-round selection in this year’s draft .
Injuries to Pickett and Gabriel during camp allowed Sanders to make his first unofficial NFL start against the Carolina Panthers during the team’s preseason opener. He threw two touchdowns and tossed for 138 yards on 14 of 23 completions in nearly three quarters of action.
Following the matchup, Sanders would miss time with an oblique injury before returning for the team’s final preseason matchup versus the Los Angeles Rams. While Gabriel came into that game and performed well, Sanders wilted under heavy pressure and was sacked five times in a rather uneventful showing behind the team’s third-string offensive line.
Sanders had still done enough in the preseason for Cleveland to move on from Kenny Pickett in a trade that dealt the former 2023 first-rounder to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2026 fifth-round pick. Sanders subsequently made Cleveland’s 53-man roster as the team’s third string quarterback and was ruled an emergency quarterback option behind Gabriel and Flacco through the first five games.
Sanders was inactive during those weeks before becoming the team’s official backup signal caller in Week 5 after the Browns dealt Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. Outside of Week 8 where he missed time due to a back injury, Sanders has been the team’s activated backup signal caller.
Gabriel had become the team’s starter during Week 4 and has been for the Browns in the team’s past six starts. Prior to the injury, Gabriel had completed under 60% of his passes and possessed the second-worst quarterback rating in football behind fellow rookie quarterback Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kambuibomani/2025/11/19/shedeur-sanders-set-to-make-first-nfl-start-versus-las-vegas-raiders/
