After 11 weeks of waiting, Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders made his NFL debut. While it came due to a concussion to fellow rookie QB Dillon Gabriel, Sanders got two quarters of action against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11.
Despite a final drive getting down to the Baltimore 25-yard line, Sanders and the Browns weren’t able to grab a win, falling to the Ravens 23-16. However, even with the rough outing, Sanders was all smiles after getting the opportunity to see the field for the first time in his young NFL career.
Shedeur Sanders Gives Blunt Response After Tough Debut
While Gabriel was able to get the Browns to a 16-10 lead, he did not return in the second half, as he headed into concussion protocol. That opened the door for Sanders to make his NFL debut with the Browns leading the game. While the fans cheered his arrival on the field, his first two quarters of action were underwhelming to say the least.
Sanders completed just four of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception. While he completed his first two passes, he got blown up by Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton for a sack, after which Hamilton mocked Sanders’ signature wrist flex celebration.
Despite the tough loss and outing, Sanders was positive in the postgame press conference when reflecting on the offensive performance, saying, “I’m made for this.”
“I’m made for this.”#Browns QB Shedeur Sanders on the rough offensive outing and rebounding from here pic.twitter.com/XlH71OhKTU
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) November 17, 2025
He recounted, “I think you’ve seen it was just rough overall. It was a rough day overall, but the thing that I was excited about was just being able to get out there, you know. It was the first time I’ve gotten hit since my last game at Colorado. Just having that feeling back, you knew it was good, you know, I feel fulfilled overall when it comes to being out there practicing, going in between the lines and seeing actually what it’s like.”
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Sanders continued, “I don’t think there was a doubt in my mind that the final drive was going to go down there and score. Things happened, we didn’t, I was just excited because I knew what I was going to be able to do out there. For the team and the linemen, even getting snaps from [Ethan] Pocic, that was amazing, going out there in a live game being able to do that with him.”
He finished his explanation by being grateful to the team for how they rallied around him in his debut, saying, “The way the guys, the o-line, running back, receivers, defense all rallied around, that’s all you can ask for for a quarterback.”
The Browns still sit at the bottom of PFSN’s NFL Offense Impact rating with a score of 53.1. It remains to be seen what direction the Browns will go after having Sanders play this week. It all hinges on Gabriel’s health and whether or not he is ready to come back from his concussion. If not, it will be Sanders’ time against the Las Vegas Raiders for the Browns in Week 12.