Shedeur Sanders made his NFL regular-season debut for the Cleveland Browns off the bench in the Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. After a concussion caused Dillon Gabriel to exit the game, Sanders stepped in.
With Gabriel in concussion protocol this week ahead of Cleveland’s Week 12 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sanders will at least get a chance to practice with the first-team players on offense in preparation for the week.
Cleveland Browns Reportedly Going With Shedeur Sanders
Although the Browns haven’t announced anything official, they could choose to be cautious with Gabriel’s concussion and opt for Sanders, which appears to be the decision Cleveland is leaning toward.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Monday that Sanders is on track to open Sunday’s game in Las Vegas with Gabriel still in the concussion protocol. Unless something changes late in the week, Sanders is set for his first start, marking the Browns’ 42nd starting quarterback since 1999.
With the Browns reportedly going with Sanders and Gabriel being unavailable, Cleveland will also need a new backup.
#Browns Shedeur Sanders is expected to start Sunday’s game in Las Vegas with Dillon Gabriel in the concussion protocol. Barring something unexpected, Sanders will make his starting debut, becoming the 42nd #Browns starter since 1999.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 17, 2025
Moreover, don’t expect that player to be Deshaun Watson, as Kay Cabot also reported, citing a league source, that the Browns are not planning to open Deshaun Watson’s practice window this week.
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As Sanders is expected to get his first NFL start against the Raiders, former New England Patriots signal-caller Bailey Zappe is lined up to serve as the backup. Nonetheless, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stated that the team will go with Gabriel should he clear protocol.
The #Browns will not open Deshaun Watson’s practice window this week, league source says. It means that in addition to Shedeur Sanders making his first #NFL start vs. the #Raiders (99.9% happening), Bailey Zappe will be the backup.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 17, 2025
“Yes, obviously a lot goes into that,” Stefanski told reporters on Sunday. “So, we’ll see.”
Browns’ Shedeur Sanders Earns Praise From Stefanski
While it remains to be seen if Sanders will be leading the Browns’ offense, which currently ranks 32nd in PFSN’s Offense Impact (OFFi), the rookie signal-caller is earning praise for how he’s preparing to start the week.
“Shedeur’s putting in great work on the field, in the meeting room,” Stefanski said. “He will be better with reps that he’s getting, like any player would be better. But we trust him, and he’s somebody that’s continued to put in the work and will continue to do so.”
It will be interesting to see if the Browns name Sanders the starter against the Raiders, and whether a whole week of practice with the starting offense helps them perform better than they did against the Ravens on Sunday.
