Shedeur Sanders earned his first NFL victory in Week 12, leading the Cleveland Browns to a 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The rookie quarterback became the first Cleveland QB since 1999 to win his debut start, snapping a lengthy franchise drought that had haunted the organization.
Sanders delivered when given his opportunity, completing 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He found an enthusiastic supporter in Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell.
The NBA guard expressed his excitement about the rookie's performance and revealed his belief that Sanders would eventually take over as the starter this season.
“Excitement for sure. I think I'm the most hype in the locker room ever talking about it,” Mitchell said, via Gabriella Kreuz of Sports Illustrated.
Shedeur Sanders has a fan in #Cavs star Donovan Mitchell: “I think I’m the most hype in the locker room.” ⌚️ pic.twitter.com/RI9xPOFh8x
— Gabriella Kreuz (@thesportsGab) November 24, 2025
Mitchell attended Sanders' relief appearance against the Baltimore Ravens and saw enough to believe in the young quarterback's potential. He praised Sanders' talent while acknowledging the unfair criticism the rookie has faced since entering the league.
“I knew I said before the year started, he was gonna start at some point. And then that was the one game I went to was the Ravens game. And he came out and played well and played okay,” he explained.
The Cavaliers guard emphasized his support for Sanders, noting the importance of the team victory while defending the rookie from what he considers unjust negativity surrounding his arrival in Cleveland.
“And then obviously now to see him just have a good game and team wins. That's big time and just wanna show our support cuz he's a talented player and he gets a lot of hate, a lot of unfair criticism and all that. But man, this kid's phenomenal and I hope he has a hell of a career. So I'm a fan,” he added.
Mitchell's support carries extra weight given his own exceptional play this season. The six-time All-Star is averaging over 30 points per game while playing at an MVP-caliber level, leading the Cavaliers to one of the league's best records.
His connection to Sanders extended beyond words. After dropping 37 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on the same Sunday, Mitchell performed Sanders' signature “perfect timing” celebration, showing solidarity with the rookie's debut triumph.
