Trae Young Reacts to Shedeur Sanders Strong NFL Debut With The Cleveland Browns

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) looks downfield for a receiver during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Sure its just the preseason, but a lot of eyes were on the the Cleveland Browns last night because it was the debut of former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders was one of the best quarterbacks in college football while he was with the Buffaloes, but fell to the 5th round of the NFL Draft. He has been locked in a quarterback battle with teammates Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett, but it was Sanders who was chosen to start against the Carolina Panthers.

It is hard to imagine that the debut could have gone any better for the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders. Sanders ended up playing in most of the game and finished 14/23 for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. The highly anticipated debut drew strong reactions from different corners of the sports world, including the NBA, where Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young chimed in on the debut of Sanders:

"How can you not love the Sanders story?
Get that hate out ya heart if you don’t like it, he not gonna be perfect but he definitely a Pro!"

How can you not love the Sanders story?
Get that hate out ya heart if you don’t like it, he not gonna be perfect but he definitely a Pro!

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) August 9, 2025

With a debut like this, it does not seem like it is out of the question that Sanders is going to land the starting job. However, it is just one preseason game and it would be unwise to get too carried away about anything that happened, no matter how promising it looks.

The next chance for Sanders to shine is going to come next Saturday when the Browns face the defending Super Bowl Champions on the road at 1:00 p.m. ET.

ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi had this to say about Sanders play last night:

"Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders shined as he got the start in Cleveland's preseason opener, throwing a pair of first-half touchdowns. Sanders has been QB4 in Cleveland's quarterback competition but got the start because of injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel. In about three quarters of action, Sanders showed the pinpoint accuracy and poise that led many to believe he was a top quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft before falling to the fifth round."

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) looks to pass to tight end Sal Cannella (87) during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

A few highlights from Shedeur Sanders in his debut pic.twitter.com/8BiQl7xHk5

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2025

As for Trae Young, he is still waiting on his contract extension from the Atlanta Hawks.

Young is eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million extension this summer, but there has not been a deal as of yet.

When speaking earlier this week, NBA insider Marc Spears had this to say regarding a deal between Young and the Hawks:

"There is a new front office in Atlanta that is trying to make decisions and what I am hearing now at this point and you can tell by Trae's tweet and I saw him during the Finals, I think that he is disappointed that it has not come and that it has not been offered. Don't be surprised if at this point if he plays this out and sees what happens next summer, but to me, Trae has nothing to prove."

How this plays out will be interesting. Young has a player option that he can exercise next Summer and become a free agent in hopes of a team signing him to the deal that he wants. Will that happen?

For a team that is going to enter next season as one of the top teams in the Eastern Confernece, there is a chance that this could become a distraction. However, Young might just be focused on showing that he is worth a massive extension and if he can get the Hawks to where they want to go and show that he can be a player to lead his team deep in the playoffs consistently, the contract he wants might just be waiting for him on a year from now.

Let's see how it all plays out.