It’s been a long road to this point for Shedeur Sanders. But it is going to be a momentous occasion for him when the Cleveland Browns take on the Carolina Panthers to open their preseason slate. After a draft day slide that derailed him from first-round projections to a fifth-round selection, Sanders is going to open the season for Cleveland as their starting quarterback.
However, even as he starts finding success at the professional level, he’s not been shy of embracing his roots, particularly with the Colorado Buffaloes.
While confrontations and fights are the norm for joint practices across the league, Sanders had a completely different interaction when the Browns shared the field with the Panthers, as he found his former teammate, Jimmy Horn Jr., on the field for a heartwarming moment.
Shedeur Sanders Reconnects With Former Teammate, Jimmy Horn Jr., At Joint Practice
Alongside Sanders and his Hall of Fame father, Deion Sanders, Horn was part of the recruiting class of 2023. Coming over as a transfer product, he particularly shone as a return specialist and became a productive receiver for Sanders.
In their two years together, Horn recorded over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. It impressed scouts at Carolina enough for them to draft him in the sixth round with the 208th overall pick as another weapon for Bryce Young.
Since then, the two have been on entirely different trajectories. While Horn has a clearer path to receiving regular-season snaps, Sanders has to battle for the most important position in the sport against four other guys.
But, through his performance, he’s secured a spot as the starter in the first preseason game between the two sides. Understandably in high spirits, the two got to exchange a beautiful moment together, as captured by the official Browns X page.
Colorado connection 🤝 pic.twitter.com/SrjWETwgbg
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 6, 2025
Just a day ago, Sanders spoke to ESPN about the love he had for Horn, claiming that he missed his presence specifically.
“Jimmy definitely is missed. A lot of the Colorado players are missed. All of them have different personalities. And Jimmy, I miss seeing his [smile] when we’re at practice with his gold grillz.”
The video didn’t have any audio, but the camaraderie between the two men was clear as day as they shared an embrace and a few laughs together. As they took a short walk, catching up, their connection from their days as Buffalo stars was visibly evident.
