Shedeur Sanders inspired the Browns to a win over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, but he couldn’t follow up against the San Francisco 49ers. Still, that hasn’t dampened head coach Kevin Stefanski’s hopes.
How Has Shedeur Sanders Impressed Kevin Stefanski?
The Browns liked what they saw in Las Vegas: the poise, the downfield aggression, the creativity outside the pocket, and the willingness to push the ball. However, the reality came crashing down against San Francisco during the 26-8 loss.
Sanders went 16-of-25 for 149 yards, throwing 1 passing TD. He still needs to refine his timing and consistency within the offense’s structure, but Cleveland believes the foundation is in place.
The Browns’ official X account even shared a clip noting they’re “looking forward to that constant improvement with Shedeur.” That parallels Stefanski’s evaluation, who praised both the flashes and the teachable moments.
“Shadeur had some really good moments in that football game… There are things that he wants back that we’re coaching up right now. For the young quarterback, you only get better with more turns, just looking forward to that constant improvement with Shadeur and for all of our young players,” Stefanski said.
“looking forward to that constant improvement with Shedeur” pic.twitter.com/QaRHcDgtQ7
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 1, 2025
Still, the Browns’ loss against the 49ers was a reminder of the growing pains that inevitably come with a rookie quarterback. But Stefanski doubled down before the game, making it clear that Sanders is his guy while Dillon Gabriel remains out.
“Very committed to working at it… good work week,” Stefanski said. Alas, the Dawg Pound is still trying its best not to be too critical of the performances.
Through three games (2 starts), Sanders sits at 405 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 69.4 passer rating. Numbers closer to a developmental backup than a franchise savior. Mix this with the Browns’ offense sitting dead last, at 32nd, in PFSN’s offensive impact metric, and it’s a recipe for disaster.
Add in his heated sideline moment with Jerry Jeudy, and the questions about his leadership and long-term trajectory have only grown.
Blaming the Browns’ long-running dysfunction or Sanders’ supporting cast would undoubtedly be easy. After all, this is a franchise with 23 losing seasons in 27 years. But if Sanders is going to be ‘The One’ in Cleveland, he simply hasn’t justified that faith yet. The rest of the season will tell whether he can rise into a legitimate starter or settle into life as a long-term backup.
