What Shedeur Sanders Said After NFL Preseason Debut With Cleveland Browns

Since Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders fell in last April's NFL draft, his development has been one of the most intriguing storylines of the offseason.

Households watched avidly as the former Colorado Buffaloes star strung together a strong preseason debut on Friday. Over two and a half quarters against the Carolina Panthers, he completed 14 of 23 throws for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) celebrates his touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It wasn't spotless, but it was Sanders. Both of his touchdown passes drew critical acclaim, and his signature watch flash was back with a vengeance after a successful third-down scramble.

Given the circumstances, playing competitive football after a meager number of training camp reps, many were shocked. No one who's watched his journey from HBCU to Big 12 to NFL should have been.

"I noticed a lot of people count on me to succeed," Sanders told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe postgame. "I just got to make sure I stay positive and stay everything throughout whatever's going on. Because it truly don't matter. Because you got a lot of people that believe in you. It's a lot of No. 12 jerseys out here still, and it's amazing. . . I'm just thankful for it. And sometimes, I don't understand the magnitude of things because I'm in such a bubble."

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Gradually, Sanders has emerged from the shadow of his father, Colorado coach Deion Sanders. Without his dad on the sidelines, the NFL will add another layer of discomfort he'll have to overcome.

He overcame rust, lack of outward belief from a misaligned front office and a subpar Browns roster to shine under Bank of America Stadium's lights. It was a factor, but Sanders wasn't phased.

"When you don't play for so long and you get back out there, you gotta find your rhythm, you gotta find your groove," Sanders said.

"I just gotta find out, regardless of reps, regarding anything, how to get into that early and often and having endurance in them windows," he added.

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) gets away from Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy (96) during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Scott Kinser-The USAToday Network via Imagn Images

With "Coach Prime" and much of the football world looking on, he made them proud.

"One thing I pride myself on is getting out of the hole," Sanders said. "So, you know, whenever you go down, you ain't gonna go too deep down. You're gonna get back up and, you know, you're gonna keep doing it over and over and over again."

While it's only one preseason game against mostly backups, Sanders has made the most of the difficult hand he was dealt in Cleveland. His depth chart status is far from decided. Amid the outside noise that followed his slide to the fifth round, he did off the field what he does best on it — keep his eyes upfield.

"I'm playing for those who don't have a voice," Sanders said. "Who I'm playing for is people locked up. You know, they text me, sending me, 'Bro, we rooting for you'. The external motivation I have is crazy. I channel that to make sure it's always going to be motivation. Regardless of how I'm feeling. Regardless of anything."