There was plenty of backlash when the Cleveland Browns decided to start Shedeur Sanders in the team’s first preseason game on Friday, but he was up to the challenge and threw for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
There was a lot to love about the win, but Sanders was the star of the show, so much so that one analyst gave him a notable grade after his debut.
Jacob Camenker of USA Today handed out grades after the game, and he gave Sanders a solid B+ for his debut.
“Sanders did not disappoint in extensive action during his Browns preseason debut. He kept Cleveland’s offense moving throughout the game and showcased the skills many believed would make him an early-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Throughout Friday’s contest, Sanders read the field well and demonstrated sharp accuracy. Sanders’ debut went about as well as anyone could have reasonably expected. His ability to entirely avoid turnovers will certainly encourage Kevin Stefanski, and it could afford Sanders an opportunity to challenge for a role higher up on Cleveland’s unsettled quarterback depth chart,” Camenker wrote.
Without tempering too much of the excitement, of course, this performance was against one of the league’s worst defenses, but it was an outstanding first step for Sanders.
The rookie is still fourth on the depth chart, but Cleveland’s four-man quarterback competition is still up in the air, and he could earn his way up the depth chart a bit if he continues playing like this.
It’s widely assumed that either Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett will open the season as the starter, but if things don’t go well, either Sanders or Dillon Gabriel could be inserted into the lineup at some point.
Cleveland has to find out if either Sanders, Gabriel, or Pickett is the long-term solution this season, and through one game, Sanders certainly looks like he is in the mix.
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