NFL
By Rick O’Donnell
It took one play. One play for Shedeur Sanders to prove he should be the starter for the Cleveland Browns. If he’s not from here on out, then the whole organization is guilty of not doing what is best for the team. In just one play, Sanders proved he’s at least worth a shot, especially when the Browns are one of only 4 teams in the NFL to not crack 200 points through this week’s game. Not to mention they’re 3-8 and are in no position to turn their season around. The ball should be in Shedeur Sanders’ court, and Cleveland should be calculated on his progress going forward.
No, it’s not all sunshine and roses. Sanders clearly has some room for improvement. After all, he did go 11-20 for a 55% completion percentage, and 119 of his 209 yards were gained on two passes, one of which was a screen that was taken for a 66-yard TD. It’s safe to say that he’s still a rookie playing on a very bad Cleveland team, but that’s on the Browns, not him. The team went all-in on Deshaun Watson in what was seen as one of the biggest gambles in NFL history, and it never paid off. Now they have to pinch every penny and get creative with a roster of young talent to offset spending. Their cap space dramatically falls in 2026.
But back to Sanders. Let’s focus on that 52-yard pass late in the first quarter on third down and why it tips the scales in Shedeur’s favor. First, to roll out on a breakdown of the offensive line and fire it downfield the way he did on the move, start a slow clap. It was an impressive throw that we haven’t seen in Cleveland in a while. Hell, not many QBs are making that throw for their teams either. The one downside of that play was the ball placement on the run. Great play with a huge gain, but would it have gone for a TD if at the end of his scramble he was able to plant, take the hit, and get a bit more behind the ball?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and say that Sanders is the next big thing to take over the NFL. He played like a rookie, and it was against a bad Raiders team. He’s got a long way to go, but there was a bit of a spark there.
Cleveland, stop punishing this young man for your mistakes. You can’t sit here and say that you have to give Dillion Gabriel a chance to work through his progress as well. Your draft is what you made of it. Whatever happened in that draft room that made you take Gabriel over Sanders was a decision you made. You can pull up a side-by-side YouTube video of both Gabriel’s first start and compare it to Sanders. The difference is night and day.
Shedeur Sanders DROPPING BARS after his first NFL start ?
“A lot of people want to see me fail … It ain’t gonna happen.” pic.twitter.com/2rFPm4Fi1G
— ESPN (@espn) November 24, 2025
This isn’t an attack on Dillion Gabriel. He deserves his chance to go through his rookie hiccups as well, but so far, with defenders coming at him the same way they did Sanders on that strike, he hasn’t looked like he would be able to make that same play. No QB is getting a fair grade in Cleveland with how poorly the team is built and coached. The Browns need not give up hope on Gabriel either. Both players deserve a fair assessment and the chance to compete moving forward. Neither of the QBs should be written off, and whoever develops with the new draft picks and free agent signings this offseason should be your starter in 2026. However, get tape on the guy you drafted in the fifth round.
If you’re the Cleveland Browns, you’ve got a decision to make on what’s best for the organization. You’re either looking at a player who’s going to constantly get scrutinized and bring media attention to the team, and he’ll be worth it, or you get enough tape on him to cut bait in the offseason. Either way, the only thing you’re potentially losing the rest of the season is games, which you were already doing. It’s a win/win for the Browns.
