After a big preseason debut for Cleveland Browns star Shedeur Sanders, he would speak after the game about multiple aspects of the performance. Sanders also received praise from Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, as the rookie quarterback would go out of his way to credit a ton of people for the outing.
Speaking to the media after Cleveland's 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, Sanders would throw for 138 yards to go along with two touchdown passes as he completed 14 out of 23 throws. On top of saying that he “felt” like himself on the field, he would also express how “thankful” he was for the people on the team around him, according to NBC Sports.
“Overall,” Sanders said. “I felt like me out there, and I couldn’t do it, of course, without the time, I couldn’t do it without the playcalling, I couldn’t do it without anything. So I’m just thankful to even be able to have the joy of just being on the field overall, then carrying the responsibility of doing the right thing, so that’s two badges under my belt already.”
Sanders' two touchdown throws were both to Kaden Davis, as he showed off his accuracy and poise in the pocket to complete the threading passes. He would play well into the third quarter until Tyler Huntley came in and played the rest of the game.
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
Browns' Shedeur Sanders reveals emotions heading into preseason debut
With Sanders' preseason debut for the Browns now in the books, he looks to build off the performance, as it wasn't a perfect game, though that is to be expected with any first-year quarterback. If there is one aspect that was impressive for a rookie, it was his composure, even saying after the game that he “wasn't nervous” going into it.
“I wasn’t nervous, so I didn’t really have too much adrenaline,” Sanders said. “It was just getting comfortable. That’s all it is. Like, there’s plenty of games before, like, I was nervous, but I feel like I knew the answers to the test. So it’s like, when you feel unprepared, then, you know, when you don’t feel like you’re 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.”
At any rate, Sanders looks to get more reps in Cleveland's next preseason game on August 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
