Well, this is it, the time has finally come. After enduring the most unprecedented slide in the history of the NFL Draft and having outlasted four other quarterbacks, the former Colorado Buffalo, Shedeur Sanders, will finally start in a regular-season game for the Cleveland Browns.
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His head coach, Kevin Stefanski, is insisting that the 144th overall draft pick is as focused as ever heading into his matchup against Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders. But with Week 12 also marking the first time in which Sanders will see first-team reps in practice, there’s certainly a bit of hesitation in the air.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, however, the Browns will likely have a chance to remain competitive no matter what. “Based on the strength of this Browns defense and Myles Garrett, who’s going to play in this game even though he sat out Friday with an illness, I think the Browns are going to be able to handle Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers and really be the difference in this football game,” she outlined.
Even though Sanders completed just four of his 16 pass attempts against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11, Cabot seems confident in Stefanski’s ability to iron most of that out. The rookie may not have much to work with, let alone much time to familiarize himself with what he’s working with, but she’s confident that the 2024 Golden Arm winner will be able to figure it out.
“I think he’s ready for this opportunity. I think he’s going to make some big plays,” Cabot predicted. Although that did come with the caveat that there will also be some “rookie mistakes,” which are also quite natural for any rookie QB, according to the insider.
Citing Sanders‘ “elite accuracy” and excitement from the wide receiver room, Cabot’s report seems to suggest that this Browns squad may just have something to play for on Sunday after all. Sanders’ teammates are more aware of his underdog status than anyone else, and they’d surely love nothing more than to help him win on the road against a conference rival.
In keeping in line with the league’s concussion protocol, Dillon Gabriel likely won’t see a return to action until either Week 13 or potentially Week 14, depending. Simply put, Sanders’ time may have arrived, but he’s still on the clock.
Throughout the next one to two weeks, his job is to make Kevin Stefanski’s job as difficult as possible. In the sense that, if Sanders can make the most of the opportunity that’s in front of him right now, then the Browns’ coaching staff would effectively have to stick their necks out to justify Gabriel reclaiming the starting role.
Of course, that’ll be easier said than done. It’s not the opportunity that anyone had hoped for when he first declared for the NFL Draft just 10 months ago, but it’s an opportunity nonetheless. And considering the amount of adversity that Sanders has had to overcome to make it to this moment, it’s one that he can’t necessarily afford to waste.
