Ravens Rob Browns' Shedeur Sanders of Full-Circle Moment

Shedeur Sanders was, unquestionably, the story of this most recent NFL Draft, with the big-name college quarterback and Heisman candidate's multi-day fall snowballing into a media circus that remained long after the Cleveland Browns picked him up in the fifth round.

The Baltimore Ravens had their own priorities to deal with, tasked with cashing in on nearly a dozen draft picks to add to what was then viewed as one of the best rosters in football, but their run-in with the Sanders drama wouldn't be fully revealed until the fall.

The Raven reportedly attempted to end his slide in a proposed maneuver to bring him into Baltimore as Lamar Jackson's young understudy, providing the outspoken star with one of the best quarterbacks in the game to study under. But Sanders' camp passed on the Ravens' offer in favor of continuing to wait for an opportunity that would present him a quicker avenue to in-game snaps.

He eventually got part of his wish when the Browns stepped in, as they were without a clear quarterback with which to enter the season. But that's not to say that they weren't without options. Sanders would have to fight for his right to play against a slew of veterans headlined by Joe Flacco, who'd eventually win the gig, as well as a fellow rookie prospect in Dillon Gabriel, who was picked a day ahead of Sanders.

Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Flacco and Cleveland Browns Quarterback Shedeur Sanders — Jun 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) talks to quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Long Wait In Line

Forced to ride the bench as Gabriel eventually took over starting responsibilities for the traded Flacco, Sanders had to continue waiting until, funny enough, the Ravens came to town. With Gabriel sent to concussion protocol, Sanders was pushed into game action suddenly in their Week 11 hosting of their divisional rival, and the visitors were sure to remind Sanders of his rookie status.

They gave him a tough time in his debut, even if he jumped off into a few quick runs that saw him take good advantage of the space ahead of him. He only completed four of his 16 passes, and one of those misses ended up in the hands of the Ravens for his first-career interception.

His Browns kept the game close enough to give Sanders a shot at a game-winning drive, but that was too much to ask from the rookie after months of riding the bench and his first appearance behind the starting line in what ended as a 23-16 loss.

"When you play a rookie in this league, you have to let 'em know that they are rookies," star linebacker Roquan Smith said postgame. "A rookie should never be able to do crazy things on a defense, especially with the amount of guys we have. With all due respect to him... rookies coming in the league, every defense should feel that way.

Roquan Smith on Shedeur Sanders:

"When you play a rookie in this league, you have to let 'em know that they are rookies. ... With all due respect to him, I think he's a great player. Think he's gonna be a great player. ... Rookies coming in the league, every defense should feel… pic.twitter.com/LWpOuwWkJ5
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltim0re) November 17, 2025

Sanders still has his whole career ahead of him, and plenty of time to add the experience to understand how he can best impact games with the pocket-passing skills he's demonstrated at previous stops. But given the small sample size of in-game snaps and bench-warming he's provided, the team he spurned got its first win in the first-ever on-field run-in between player and team.

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