Deion Sanders Reacts to Shedeur's First Browns Touchdown

Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders made his highly anticipated NFL debut on Friday, starting under center in the Cleveland Browns' preseason opener. While his first drive against the Carolina Panthers was a three-and-out, Sanders quickly found his rhythm and led his team to a score in the second quarter.

After a muffed punt by Panthers returner Trevor Etienne, the Browns recovered the ball at Carolina's 10-yard line. Sanders capitalized on the field position, rolling to his left and finding wide receiver Kaden Davis in the end zone for his first NFL touchdown.

we're on the board!#CLEvsCAR on NFLN, @WEWS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/TXCvXCbGWM
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 8, 2025

Shedeur Sanders' father, Deion Sanders, took to social media to show his support for the rookie quarterback after reaching his first professional milestone.

"Yes Lawd! Yes! @ShedeurSanders," Deion Sanders said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Yes Lawd! Yes! @ShedeurSanders
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) August 8, 2025

The score gave Shedeur Sanders a statline of 6-for-11 passing, 40 yards and a touchdown. With quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel out with hamstring injuries and veteran Joe Flacco sitting out the preseason opener, Sanders is set to take a large portion of Friday night's snaps. Recent free agent signing Tyler Huntley is expected to relieve Sanders in the second half.

Deion Sanders coached Shedeur for all four of his collegiate seasons. The pair started at Jackson State, where they won the SWAC Championship in 2021 and 2022, before heading to Colorado in the Big 12. After a difficult 2023 season, the Buffaloes broke through in 2024 with a 9-4 record and a trip to the Alamo Bowl. Shedeur Sanders was honored as a Second-Team All-American, won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

The Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The 23-year-old quarterback was widely projected to be taken in the first or second rounds, but slid to the No. 144 overall pick before landing in Cleveland. Sanders is competing for the Browns' starting quarterback job with Flacco, Pickett and Gabriel, and a strong preseason could persuade head coach Kevin Stefanski to hand the reigns to the fifth-round rookie.

Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders works with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees during rookie minicamp May 9, 2025, in Berea. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite playing under Deion Sanders for the past four seasons, Shedeur Sanders has been reluctant to let his Hall-of-Fame father watch him at the NFL level. Shedeur Sanders told Deion not to come to Browns training camp until he gets "where he needs to be."

Coach Prime is now getting the opportunity to watch his son on the big screen, and Shedeur Sanders is taking full advantage of his opportunity.

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