Many Cleveland Browns fans have been clamoring for Shedeur Sanders to start all year, and they’ll finally get their wish on Sunday when he makes his first start against the Las Vegas Raiders in relief of the concussed Dillon Gabriel. Sanders was a disaster last week in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and the hope is that with a week to prepare, he can show some progression on Sunday.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski stated that Gabriel will still be the starter once he returns, but for the time being, the staff and the fans are all in on Sanders. While he has a winnable matchup ahead of him, the odds are against him on Sunday.
Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan shared on X that Sanders will be the 13th rookie to start for Cleveland since 1999. If Sanders beats the Raiders, he’d be the first of those 13 rookies to win, as the previous 12 are 0-12.
“Sheduer Sanders will be the 13th rookie to start for the #Browns since 1999. The previous 12 are a combined 0-12 in their starting debuts,” Ruiter said.
Sheduer Sanders will be the 13th rookie to start for the #Browns since 1999. The previous 12 are a combined 0-12 in their starting debuts.
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) November 21, 2025
Sanders Looks To Break Browns’ Long-Running QB Curse
There are some big names on that list of Browns rookie quarterbacks, including Baker Mayfield, Tim Couch, Brandon Weeden, Johnny Manziel, Brady Quinn, and others. Browns fans are simply hoping Sanders can have a better run with the team than any of them did.
Sanders completed just four of his 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception last week, with two brutal sacks and a fumble for good measure. It was an awful debut, but he is much more capable than he looked against Baltimore and should look much better against the Raiders.
Something needs to change with this team’s quarterback situation, as it has been a nightmare since 1999. It’s just one game, but Sanders needs to show something.
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