The Cleveland Browns finally gave the fans and the media what they wanted when they turned to fifth-round rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders a few weeks back, and he’ll make his third start on Sunday against the lowly 1-11 Tennessee Titans.
Sanders will be looking to improve to 2-1 as a starter and bring the Browns their fourth win of the season to keep their faint playoff hopes alive in a weak AFC North.
So far, Sanders has completed 50.8 percent of his passes for 405 yards, two touchdowns, and two picks. His ability to push the ball down the field has helped open up Cleveland’s offense, though he has had the typical ups and downs one would expect from a fifth-round rookie.
Analyst Greg Cosell recently stopped by the Ross Tucker Podcast to discuss Sanders’ performance over his first two starts, and he threw a bit of a wet blanket on the fire. He was largely unimpressed with Sanders’ performance in the 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.
“Shedeur is still playing at college speed. He’s not dropping back with the quickness you need to drop back. He’s not getting back in the pocket, setting his feet. What happens is you end up being slow in what you’re seeing because you’re not really ready to process and deliver the football. This week, he did not see what he needed to see at the necessary speed.”
“Shedeur is still playing at college speed.”
“He did not see what he needed to see at the necessary speed.”@GregCosell discusses Shedeur Sanders’ performance against the 49ers: pic.twitter.com/RCuFhXm1ye
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) December 4, 2025
This wasn’t a huge criticism from Cosell, as he stated it’s quite typical of a rookie with little experience, particularly a rookie who played a ton out of the shotgun in college, which Sanders did at Colorado. He also touched on how he missed Jerry Jeudy multiple times against SF, and it’s something to keep an eye out for against Tennessee to see if he is able to clean that up.
Cosell is as respected and as thorough as any analyst in the game, and this is valuable insight. The more Sanders plays, the more the game will slow down for him, which will only help him in the long run.
He should be salivating at his upcoming matchup, and it will be great to see if he can take the next step forward against the Titans.
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