After his slide in the 2025 NFL Draft, the chances of Shedeur Sanders starting an NFL game any time in the foreseeable future seemed remote.
With four other quarterbacks on the Cleveland Browns roster, his status as a fifth-round pick left him relatively buried on the depth chart. However, as fate would have it, Sanders got a chance to be QB1 in the very first preseason game for the Browns.
Through the first half, his performance has been nothing short of exceptional. Despite his standing on the roster, some hard work in the offseason made the youngster ready for the moment.
With the focus of the world on the game against the Carolina Panthers, his performance even led his father, the legendary Deion Sanders, to send out a celebratory message for his son.
Shedeur Sanders Vindicates Deion Sanders’ Prediction
Head coach Kevin Stefanski wanted to protect a veteran like Joe Flacco from any potential injuries, and both Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel were dealing with injuries heading into Week 1 of the preseason. That meant Sanders would get an extended run as the lead signal-caller.
Thanks to his draft positioning and the reviews out of Cleveland, any doubts surrounding Shedeur coming in were fully justified. But, through the first half, the one-time Colorado Buffaloes star has proven his worth immediately.
A projected first-round pick before the draft, Sanders put up 103 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 11 passes on 18 attempts. Add in four scrambles worth 19 yards, and the makings of a legitimate starting quarterback were clear to see.
His performance drew praise all across social media. But there was hardly anyone as proud as his father. Fulfilling the duty of his head coach at Colorado as well, the two-time Super Bowl champion proudly declared his son a top-five pick.
Ultimately, his prophecy didn’t come to fruition. However, Sanders’ performance through the first half was as close to vindication as the former Defensive Player of the Year could get. Immediately taking to X, he wrote, “Yes Lawd! Yes! @ShedeurSanders”
Stefanski hasn’t made his plans for the second half clear. There is a chance that he rides Sanders’ hot hand for a while longer, as he gets valuable reps in real playing time. However, with the organization signing veteran Tyler Huntley just a week ago, the coach could look to go in a different direction.
Yes Lawd! Yes! @ShedeurSanders
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) August 8, 2025
For the time being, it seems clear that Flacco is going to be the Week 1 starter for the Browns. Sanders, though, has made his case about as well as anyone could have hoped for.
Even if he doesn’t begin the year as QB1, the youngster has shown enough for the franchise to take a second look at him later on in the season.
With the team needing a long-term solution at the most important position in the sport, his performance has, at the very least, given Coach Stefanski something to think about.
