Did Shedeur Sanders Live Up to Hype in NFL Debut?

When Shedeur Sanders was named as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, both fans and detractors were looking forward to seeing how the rookie did in his first-ever NFL start.

Upon looking at his overall numbers and highlights, it’s probably fair to say that his start was filled with both highlights and lowlights.

How Did Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Play vs. the Raiders?

If there ever was a place for Sanders to make his NFL debut, then Las Vegas, with its bright lights and big-time feel, was a good spot.

Sanderscompiledsome decent statistics as well. In the Browns’ game against the Raiders, Sanders finished 11-of-20 passing for 209 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The Browns came away with a 24-10 win in Las Vegas.

On the interception, Sanders was looking to connect on a quick out with one of his receivers. However, his pass was intercepted and returned for a few yards.

Raiders D picks off Sanders

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— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025

Yet Sanders didn’t just play badly, though. He even put together a solid drive that included a very nifty 53-yard pass play, which set the Browns up for a touchdown in the first quarter.

SHEDEUR SANDERS GOES DEEP FOR 53 YARDS.

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— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025

In the fourth quarter, Sanders recorded his first NFL touchdown pass. He connected with Dylan Sampson, who took a short outlet pass to the right, then cut back against the grain and outran the Raiders’ defense for a 66-yard touchdown catch-and-run play.

Shedeur Sanders on the board with a TD pass. pic.twitter.com/JccxVx8JR0

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 23, 2025

Sanders was doing all of this with his father, Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders, looking on from a box in the stands.

The former Colorado quarterback has been under the spotlight for much of his pro career. He was heralded as a potential high draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. But Sanders saw his stock drop as the draft wore on until the Browns eventually selected him in the fifth round.

While that might have hurt his ego, Sanders has pretty much kept his head down and gone to work. The Browns’ offense has not been anything to write home about this season. According to the PFSN NFL Offense Impact metrics, Cleveland entered Sunday’s game with the worst offense in the league, which has an impact score of 52.7 and graded out to an F.

After the Browns traded Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, it opened up the QB1 spot for Dillon Gabriel, another rookie quarterback. But Gabriel wasn’t able to play on Sunday, which opened the door for Sanders to lead the Browns’ offense under head coach Kevin Stefanski.