The Cleveland Browns played their first preseason game of the season on Friday night against the Carolina Panthers and it was all about Shedeur Sanders’ NFL debut.

Due to injuries that both Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel are dealing with, Sanders was named the team’s starting quarterback. Not only did he play well, but he dominated the game and lived up to all of the hype that surrounded him.

Throughout the course of the game, Sanders completed 14 of his 23 pass attempts for 138 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also made an impact on the ground, running for 19 yards on four attempts.

Sanders could not have asked for a much better start to his NFL career. With his strong performance, he has made the Browns’ quarterback situation even more interesting.

Read more: Shedeur Sanders Stats: Browns’ Rookie Impresses With Multi-TD Performance

Jordan Schultz, a notable NFL insider, revealed a text message that he received from an anonymous AFC North executive during the game.

“It’s early, but wow,” the exec said. “Actually shocked at how good he looks.”

That reaction is just about how everyone thought after watching Sanders play.

Before the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders was expected to be a first-round pick. He was even projected as high as being the No. 2 overall pick quite often. Those expectations did not become a reality for the former Colorado Buffaloes’ star.

Not only was he not drafted in the first round, he also wasn’t selected in the second, third, or fourth round. Sanders had to wait until the fifth round of the draft to land with Cleveland.

He made a very clear statement with his performance against the Panthers. Sanders came out and proved that his talent is legitimate.

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Granted, it’s just one preseason game. Sanders has a lot of work to prove that he can be a franchise NFL quarterback. However, the scrutiny that he has been under would be difficult for many young players to deal with, but Sanders has thrived in it.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the preseason shakes out for Sanders. Cleveland got its first look at the young signal caller and had to love what it saw.

Will this give Sanders a chance to be a starter in his rookie season? Only time will tell, but this performance was certainly a step in that direction.

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