Shedeur Sanders vows he won’t fail as an NFL QB
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Shedor Sanders spoke about the harsh reality of playing in the NFL as he led the Cleveland Browns to a win over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first career win on Sunday.
Sanders’ performance wasn’t the prettiest. He was 11 of 20 with 209 yards, a touchdown pass and an interception. He had a nice 54-yard completion to Isaiah Pond and then threw a dump to Dylan Sampson, who ran it for a 66-yard touchdown.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shader Sanders throws the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on November 23, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagine Images)
The rookie midfielder said he was grateful for the opportunity, but understood that a lack of reps with the first-team offense was no excuse for completing only 55% of his passes and finishing the game with an 87.3 passer rating.
“Everyone starts in different places. Like I said, just because I didn’t get reps in the summer because I wasn’t in the best position for me to get ready to go out there and execute from a summer standpoint — that’s how life is,” he said. “Everyone is not in the best situation. But that’s no excuse. I have to go out there and perform. There’s no choice. There’s no doubt.”
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shader Sanders talks with coach Kevin Stefanski during a Las Vegas Raiders game at Allegiant Stadium on November 23, 2025. (Steven R. Silvani/Imagine Images)
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“Nobody cares if it’s one week of preparation. Who cares? So, a lot of people want to see me fail — it’s not going to happen. It’s not going to happen.”
Sanders started in place of Dillon Gabriel, who suffered a concussion. He called it surreal to be able to come out and perform for the Browns after being selected in the fifth round in the spring.
He pledged to correct some small errors over time.
“It’s only one way, and the only way is up,” he added.
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With the win, Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to earn his first NFL start since Eric Zier in 1995. Zier was a third-round pick of Georgia. He made his first start on October 29, 1995, in an overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns finished 5-11 that year and moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens in 1996.
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