One of the most anticipated NFL rookies is finally making his first start of the season. Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was named the team's starter ahead of Week 12, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Sanders will get all the first-team reps this week for the first time in his pro career.
”You want to make sure that all the concepts are things that he feels confident in," Stefanski said. "Having been around him over the months you get a good sense of the things that fit his eyes, so to speak. Definitely want to lean into those types of things."
Stefanski added he's seen "significant growth" from Sanders since he's been with the Browns.
It's been quite the journey for Sanders since the end of the college football season. After posting strong numbers at Colorado as a senior, Sanders was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by some analysts.
Sanders failed to go in the first round, but there was still hope he would be one of the first names picked on the second day of the draft. But as the 2025 NFL Draft progressed, it became clear that either teams didn't believe in Sanders' ability or were turned off by Sanders' pre-draft process.
The 23-year-old finally saw his draft slide end in the fifth round, when the Browns selected him with the 144 overall pick. Cleveland made the move despite taking rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round.
With both rookies, and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett on the Browns' roster when training camp opened, Sanders had a long way to go before starting was a possibility. His road to the starting job got an early boost after the Browns shipped Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders in August.
While that move opened up a spot on the roster for Sanders, he wasn't active for games initially. But with the Browns scuffling to open the season, Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals and Sanders was elevated to the No. 2 spot on the quarterback depth chart, behind Gabriel, the team's new starter.
Sanders was officially active for his first NFL game in Week 6. With Gabriel starting, Sanders did not see playing time during the first handful of games in which he was active.
But a Gabriel injury in Week 11 opened the door for Sanders to finally move into the starting role. During the team's Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens, Gabriel sustained a concussion, paving the way for Sanders to make his NFL debut.
The fifth-rounder struggled, going 4 for 16 with an interception and a fumble in the loss. After the game, Sanders owned up to his mistakes, saying, "I don't think I played good at all."
He'll have a chance to build on that performance in Week 12 following Gabriel's injury. Given all the hype surrounding Sanders during the pre-draft process — and some comments he's made about his role — there should be plenty of eyes on Sanders' first NFL start, especially after he fell flat in Week 11.
Despite his late-round draft status and slow climb up the depth chart, Sanders will face big expectations in the starting role. After a rocky pre-draft process, in which Sanders turned down certain teams because he wanted a clear path to playing time, he finally gets the opportunity to prove he was right all along.
If Sanders can perform, it's possible he could win the job the rest of the way. Gabriel flashed occasional upside as the team's starter, with three two-touchdown games, but hasn't shown big-play potential or the ability to complete passes at an above-average clip. In his first six NFL starts, Gabriel has posted completion percentages under 60 percent three times. It didn't help that the Browns went 1-5 in those contests.
Because of all of those factors, there will be a ton of pressure on Sanders to excel immediately. That's an unfair expectation for any first-year passer, but Sanders is far from the typical NFL rookie.