Shedeur Sanders’ Browns Start Is Changing Colorado NFL History

There’s an unexpected NFL stat for former Colorado Buffaloes starting a regular-season game. Find out what makes Shedeur Sanders’ start against the Las Vegas Raiders so significant and why it could change the program’s future.

nfl Cleveland Browns Shedeur Sanders Las Vegas Raiders Colorado Buffaloes Deion Sanders Coach Prime rookie quarterback dillon gabriel | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

For Colorado coach Deion Sanders, every first feels meaningful, but few will match the emotion racing through him in Boulder this week. With his son and Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders making his first career start against the Las Vegas Raiders, this marks a milestone that has eluded the Colorado Buffaloes football program for two decades.

The last time a former Buffaloes quarterback started an NFL regular season game was January 2, 2005, when Koy Detmer got the call for the Philadelphia Eagles. Detmer’s Eagles fell 38-10 to the Bengals, as he threw for 202 yards and zero touchdowns. 

Since then, Buffs quarterbacks have faded from the league’s top spot - until now.

Breaking the NFL Drought

Nov 29, 2020; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay (30) carries the ball in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The past 20 years have seen few Colorado quaretrbacks take snaps under center in the league, so much so that even running backs saw more playing time. The last former CU Buff to start an NFL regular-season game was that infamous 2020 “wildcat” start for the Denver Broncos, where running back Phillip Lindsay took the first snap of the game. In the Broncos 31-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints, against their current head coach, Wide Receiver Kendall Hinton had to start the game forced by COVID protocols, going 1-for-9 passing, 13 yards, and two interceptions.

Prior to Sanders taking the field for the Browns last week, the last former Colorado Buffalo to even attempt a pass in an NFL game was running back Chris Brown back on December 6, 2009. Known for his six-touchdown performance vs. No. 1 ranked Nebraska in 2001, Brown was called upon in a gadget play for the Houston Texans going 0-for-1 passing.  

A Long Line of NFL Misses

Oct 1992; Lawrence, KS, USA; FILE PHOTO; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kordell Stewart (10) during the 1992 season against the Kansas Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Colorado’s quarterback room, through the decades, has been filled with talent and iconic moments. Kordell Stewart is remembered not only for the “Miracle at Michigan” but for redefining what a dual-threat quarterback looked like. Darian Hagan was the leader of the 1990 national championship squad, and Detmer and Joel Klatt made Colorado a perennial conference contender. 

However,  that success in Boulder has typically run dry as soon as the conversation shifts to Sunday's. Despite athleticism and arm talent, few of Boulder’s best quarterbacks have managed to turn their college career into a lasting NFL starting job. 

Stewart, perhaps the best of the bunch in the pros, got the Steelers to two AFC Championship games but bounced between positions. Detmer, after breaking most passing records with the Buffs at the time, was only a backup for eleven seasons in Philadelphia. Others like Klatt, Sefo Liufau, and Steven Montez, etched their names in CU history but were never on the NFL radar.

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The Road Shedeur Sanders Is Traveling

Nov 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) walks off the field following a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

That background is why Shedeur Sanders’ first NFL start for the Cleveland Browns means a lot to the Colorado fan base. His debut against Baltimore was rough—just 4 completions on 16 attempts for 47 yards and an interception after stepping in for the injured Dillon Gabriel. Yet, his opportunity persists, with Sanders getting all first-team reps ahead of this week’s start against Las Vegas.

Sanders’ chance is redemption for Colorado, who has watched other schools churn out NFL quarterbacks, while the hope of seeing a true Buff under center in the league has become almost mythical. That hope is renewed with Sanders, who led CU to a 9-win season in 2024 and earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

This start is a reconnection to the tradition of Stewart and Hagan, and a signal to recruits and current players that a Buff can still have success in the league. Of course, NFL rookie struggles will come. The Browns are 2-8 in a tough year, but Sanders takes the field not only being Coach Prime’s son, but as the hopeful beginning of a Colorado quarterback pipeline eager for a modern success story.