BroBible
Shedeur Sanders earned his first NFL start with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, picking up a win over the Raiders in Las Vegas. He was not given a game ball after the fact.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski refused to make the moment about his rookie quarterback. By doing so, he honored Sanders’ wishes.
Sanders’ story is well-documented by now. He fell from first-round NFL Draft status to a fifth-round afterthought. The Browns selected the Colorado product as their second choice behind Dillon Gabriel.
Since being with the team, he’s held down a reserve role behind the likes of Gabriel, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett. Injuries have forced him into action. He’s taken full advantage of the opportunity.
Sanders took his first pro snaps in a loss to Baltimore after Gabriel suffered a concussion. He made his first start with that head injury keeping his teammate on the sidelines in Week 12.
The passer threw for 209 yards on 55% passing with a touchdown and interception. There was some good and some bad. In the end, he did enough to get a comfortable victory behind a strong defensive effort.
Every pass and rush attempt from Shedeur Sanders’ first NFL win pic.twitter.com/Bey4jwoKEA
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2025
Sanders led the offense to 24 points. It could’ve been more if not for a pair of turnovers.
All in all, it was an encouraging effort for a team that had previously been winless on the road. After the game, the quarterback was all smiles.
With that being said, he knows there is work to do.
“A lot of people want to see me fail… and it ain’t gonna happen.” – Shedeur Sanders pic.twitter.com/3moZE34RDZ
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2025
Instead, it went to Myles Garrett. The defensive lineman had three of the team’s 10 sacks. The Browns held the Raiders to just 10 points on the day.
Sanders was recognized in the postgame celebration, though.
STAY RESILIENT TOGETHER @Ticketmaster | #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/iaDBdWzf39
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 24, 2025
Stefanski received online criticism for that short congratulations. It further fueled a narrative that he hates Shedeur Sanders.
That supposed disdain stems from a number of things, mainly connected to Sanders standing on the depth chart.
Is it true? It seems unlikely. In fact, it seems he was honoring Sanders’ wishes in the postgame celebration.
The quarterback said earlier this offseason that he does not want to take away from the team. He’s owned the spotlight dating back to his time in college. He does not want the attention as a pro.
Instead, he wants the focus to be on the franchise. Here’s what he had to say in training camp when speaking on the topic.
*“I just want everything that I’m doing to focus on this time, and I don’t want any distractions… It...
