The Familiar Yet Staggering Weakness Of Shedeur Sanders' Rookie Season

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders met an old friend on Sunday — dirt.

The former Colorado Buffaloes star was sacked five times amid a dreary fourth career NFL start against the Chicago Bears. Sanders threw three interceptions and completed just 18 of his 35 throws in Cleveland's 31-3 loss.

Like many other foes throughout his recently developing rookie year, Chicago sent houses at Sanders like a mortgage broker. It was a pressure he knew all too well, and one that may trouble him for the foreseeable future.

Shedeur Sanders' Sack-Filled Sunday

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) walks off the field after losing to the Tennessee Titans in an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 7, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Entering the draft process, one major sticking point for NFL scouts was Sanders' ability to navigate a pass rush. He dealt with relentless duress behind porous offensive lines while at Colorado, but the signal caller often made rash decisions while knowing he'd face it.

More times than not, Sanders sought to improvise and create chicken salad out of, you know the rest, rather than throwing balls away. It resulted in 94 sacks over two seasons with the Buffaloes, a number no other FBS quarterback neared.

That and a combo of other factors led to his unheralded slide last April, and even as he's been given a chance with the Browns, it's continuing. The Bears pressured Sanders on 20 of his 42 dropbacks on Sunday, their highest pressure percentage (48) this season. Chicago entered the game second-to-last in the NFL in pressure percentage at 24.

Defensive lines have pressured Sanders on 46 percent of his dropbacks through his first five NFL appearances. The mark would be the highest a quarterback has faced in a season since it was first tracked in 2009, as the worst percentage to date is 43 (Deshaun Watson, 2018).

Shedeur Sanders' Fatal Flaw?

Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (99) sacks Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

But it's not only on those protecting him. Exhibit A from Sunday, when he held the ball for 7.7 seconds until an inevitable sack.

Shedeur Sanders takes another sack. This time he held the ball for 7.70 seconds. He’s proving he doesn’t belong in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/7mrcVRWOW1
— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) December 14, 2025

It's a brute fact mixed with criticism that goes too far, but with Sanders' tendency to float away from protection, there's only so much an offensive line can do. The Browns lack a strong line and the talented core of receivers he had with father/coach Deion Sanders' Buffs, so Shedeur must work around that if he wants to succeed. Not every situation will be ideal.

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He's overcome it at times, especially just one Sunday prior, when he threw for 364 yards and four total touchdowns. But ferocious pass rushes will keep coming if Sanders does not adjust and zip throws away more decisively.

At all levels, Sanders has shown he can shine in a clean pocket. Even on roll-outs and in messy situations, his ball placement and velocity have shown a slew of promise if given the chance. The back-breaking flaw, one that could haunt his career if not careful, is that there aren't enough moments like that.

Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson (48) sacks Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Sanders could certainly do better outside of Cleveland, where quarterback careers have gone to die over the past quarter-century. Coach Kevin Stefanski has made an array of administrative errors in handling his development, receivers have dropped balls leading to interceptions and factors outside of the former Unitas Golden Arm's control haven't exactly been favorable.

But at some point, there's no excuse. Sanders knows so, acknowledging it time after time in postgame press conferences. His heart is in the right place, but to become a full-time NFL starter, sometimes the style one grew up to succeed with at one level won't work at the next. Even if his talent is there, changes must be made.

The best signal callers adapt, even when it may not feel comfortable. Sanders is ahead of schedule compared to what many imagined months ago, but a tough road lies ahead before "legendary" can become more than an Instagram caption.