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As Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders made his preseason debut on Friday night in the 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers, there's no doubt that his outing turned some heads. Right from when the Browns' star threw his first touchdown, his performance has been the talk of the football world, leading to some having some bold takes about the player.
In the aforementioned win against the Panthers, Sanders would record 138 yards to go along with two touchdown passes and zero interceptions as he played well into the third quarter, with Tyler Huntley playing the rest of the game. For a rookie that was selected in the fifth round, though that NFL Draft placement is still heavily debated, Sanders played exceptionally well, though he would say it wasn't perfect.
“On the team's behalf, I think I ran the offense pretty well,” Sanders said in his post-game press conference, according to the team's YouTube page. “I feel like I got to my decisions and there are some things I could've done better, and different processes where I could speed my feet up. You know, I'm grateful for the opportunity and thankful that we won, but there's still time to go to work.”
There is no denying that it was a great start for Sanders in what is a hopeful, successful NFL career after producing at a high level with the Colorado football team. With how good he played, here are some hot takes after the impressive preseason debut by Sanders:
Shedeur Sanders should be under consideration as the Browns' QB1
Starting with a scathing hot take, after the Browns' rookie's stellar debut, Sanders should be under heavy consideration for the starting quarterback job. I fully understand how insane that sounds, but there have been numerous reports of Sanders impressing during the offseason, and he has already done so in the first preseason game against Carolina.
In Cleveland's unofficial depth chart, Sanders was listed as fourth behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. However, with the injuries to Pickett and Gabriel, Sanders could quickly climb up the ranking and compete with Flacco.
Now, it's safe to predict that Flacco will end up as the starting quarterback for the first game of the regular season due to his immense experience, but if Sanders keeps up this level of play, it could be hard to keep him on the sidelines for long. He will get more reps next week, as said by Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who spoke about the many situations during the game that were “invaluable.”
“The situations were invaluable for Shedeur. For all of our offense,” Stefanski said. “We got a third one where he had a quarterback sneak. I mean, there's just a lot of football, and that's by design, with him getting a ton of reps in this game, and he'll get a ton of reps next week as well. That's all part of our development of our young players.”
every situation in preseason is invaluable to rookies developing pic.twitter.com/ToTqAWP3rl
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 9, 2025
Shedeur Sanders' poise stands out in the Browns quarterback room
While the Browns quarterback in Sanders gave himself a middling grade, the rest of the football world is no doubt higher on the performance, though it's important to state that it wasn't perfect. But, if there was one aspect that was impressive for a rookie with a lot of pressure on his shoulders, it was his calmness and poise in the pocket, even saying after the outing that he was not nervous going into the game.
“I wasn't nervous or have too much adrenaline, it was just getting comfortable,” Sanders said. “That's all it is. There were plenty of games before where I was nervous, but I felt like I knew the answers to the test. So, when you feel unprepared, then you don't feel ready for the moment. I know I'm ready for the moment. Did I play up to par? No, I don't feel like I did. But overall, the main goal was to win, and that's honestly what we did.”
Sanders also has the right mindset when approaching the quarterback competition, which has been one of many situations the rookie has had to deal with this year, like falling to the fifth round after being projected as a top pick.
“I just think about when I get out there just doing what I got to do,” Sanders said of the competition. “Everything else is out of my hands, so why worry about it. I just don't think that deep into everything because it's something that you're not able to control, so why put energy into something you can't control? The most you could do is whenever you get your opportunity and your number is called, is perform, and at least do the bare minimum and win the game.”
The Browns should give Shedeur Sanders more first-team reps
As the Browns head coach in Stefanski would be pleased with how Sanders played, he will not obviously give a confirmed answer on who will be the starting quarterback once Week 1 comes around. Despite the takes presently, it is understandable that a decision isn't made until the preseason is over.
“Yeah, we’re really just focused on developing our players,” Stefanski said when asked about the ongoing quarterback competition, including Sanders. “We’re in evaluation mode. I’m pleased with where the guys are, but I’m not diving into the quarterback competition.”
Still, if Sanders keeps up the impressive performances, whether it be in preseason games or in practice sessions, it might prove beneficial to give the rookie some first-team reps. Even if Sanders doesn't start Week 1, he at least has experience with the rest of the starting offense, where if his number is called during a game due to injuries or lack of good play, he can come in and it won't be too big of an adjustment.
However, there's no hiding the fact that Stefanski liked what he saw.
“Pleased with Shedeur, pleased with the offense. Again, not perfect, plenty that we can work on,” Stefanski said. “But I thought the guys did a really nice job. Shedeur IN operating the guys, making plays. So again, a ton to teach off of.”
“Pleased with the way Shedeur played, I'm pleased with the way the offense operated tonight,” Stefanski continued. “All things moving forward, as we continue to practice, we'll be focused on all of our guys' development and getting these guys ready to play for the season.”
Shedeur Sanders looks to impress the Browns again in the second game
Sanders' preseason debut with the Browns will be talked about a lot until the next preseason game, there was a ton to highlight, like the quarterback and Stefanski mentioned. He had some impressive throws, especially from the two touchdown passes to Kaden Davis.
we're on the board!#CLEvsCAR on NFLN, @WEWS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/TXCvXCbGWM
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 8, 2025
zipped it right in there#CLEvsCAR on NFLN, @WEWS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/wQo5ehWbV2
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 9, 2025
Showing off his accuracy and composure when under duress, these are traits that, with time, could build into an impressive repertoire and lead to a fruitful career.
At any rate, Sanders looks to help Cleveland in the next preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on August 16. This is all in preparation for the 2025 season, which starts on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 7, against divisional rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, trying to improve after finishing 3-14, putting them last in the AFC North.
