It was a glorious first night for Shedeur Sanders as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Even if just for a preseason game, the Colorado Buffaloes standout had an impressive showing that looked more in line with his pre-draft first-round projections than his fifth-round selection reality. By the end of his shift, Sanders had made believers out of virtually everyone watching.
However, it was his personality and leadership, visible even after the game had ended, that truly separated him from the pack. After his debut game was in the books, the youngster revealed the special gesture, in line with his legendary Hall of Fame father Deion Sanders, for each of his wide receivers on the Cleveland Browns roster.
Shedeur Sanders Mixed Leadership With Quarterbacking In Kind Gesture
Since draft day, there have been many questions about the Colorado star, both on and off the field. His personality off the field was questioned as borderline arrogant, while the general consensus out of Browns training camp was that Sanders was behind schedule.
However, in his first bout of real action, he proved his credentials immediately. In the first half alone, he had 103 yards and two touchdowns, completing 11 passes on 18 attempts. Additionally, he also showed his physical prowess with three scrambles worth 20 yards.
His performance set the internet ablaze, with a host of superstars and legends of the league congratulating and celebrating his first night. However, for Sanders, the real recipients of the honor were his wide receivers, who made his stat line possible.
Speaking to 92.3 The Fan after the game, the 144th overall pick revealed, “I gifted a lot of the receivers the Prime DT (Max) ’96s.” The Prime DT ’96 is a special line of sneakers produced by Nike in collaboration with Sanders’ father, Deion.
“Some wore them, some didn’t. But, I was like ‘OK, this is just my little appreciation gift to them.'”
“I gifted a lot of the receivers the Prime DT (Max) ’96s. Some wore them, some didn’t. But, I was like ‘OK, this is just my little appreciation gift to them.”#Browns QB Shedeur Sanders on the play of the WRs tonight pic.twitter.com/7X6Zsp2qRH
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 9, 2025
After months of speculation where it looked like Sanders might firmly be fourth on the quarterback depth chart for head coach Kevin Stefanski, his performance might give the two-time Coach of the Year some pause.
The opportunity to start against the Carolina Panthers was more out of luck than any of Sanders’ doings. Both Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel were dealing with injuries, and Stefanski couldn’t risk injuring his likely veteran starter.
Even though the plan remains for Joe Flacco to be the starter in Week 1 of the regular season, Sanders showed enough for the organization to give him a fair shot at becoming the potential franchise quarterback for the Browns.
