Skip Bayless has never hidden his affection for anything connected to the Sanders family. Not Deion Sanders, not Colorado, and certainly not Shedeur Sanders. Based on his public statements, one can even narrow the veteran analyst’s love to part Cowboys fandom, part long-running admiration for Prime, and part genuine belief that Shedeur has “franchise quarterback makeup.”
Advertisement
Shedeur’s NFL debut against Baltimore was a tough one, however. It was a 4-for-16 performance with 47 passing yards, an interception, and two sacks that had the league questioning if Shedeur is really all that. Still, while most analysts zeroed in on the misfires and the stalled drives, Bayless went against the grain.
On his show, Bayless argued that he saw “flashes of vintage Colorado, Jackson State Shedeur Sanders,” citing the final two throws of the last drive as proof of untapped upside.
And as Shedeur prepares for his first NFL start against the 2-8 Raiders, Bayless is steering into uncharted levels of optimism again. On a recent edition of The Arena, he praised the Colorado Product like he usually does while almost omnisciently mapping out exactly what he expects from the rookie in his first game as a starter.
“You’re going to see from Shedeur poise and command. You will see no fear. You’ll see body language that will be contagious for everybody on that football team,” Bayless said confidently.
He then intriguingly predicted the Browns’ entire demeanor to shift the second Shedeur Sanders takes the field. “That defense will rise and shine,” Bayless insisted, before planting the flag: “The Cleveland Browns will win this game.”
And, lastly, of course, he gave his statistical projection, something that fans immediately latched onto:
“I got 23 of 33 for 235. Two touchdowns. I’m gonna say one interception… And I believe he’ll run for another 50 yards because his mobility is being very underestimated.”
Bayless even added a prediction for Browns running back Quinshon Judkins, calling for “120-ish” rushing yards and a featured run-heavy approach to support the offense.
To put it simply: the veteran analyst is predicting Shedeur’s first start to be a turning point in his polarizing NFL career so far.
Comment what you think Shedeur Sanders’ numbers will be in his first career start ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/M2VA6wsleW
— The Arena: Gridiron (@ArenaGridiron) November 22, 2025
In all fairness, Bayless’ optimism isn’t coming out of thin air. Shedeur was a bona fide starter in college and was among the best prospects at his level before entering the NFL. During his time in Colorado, he’s shown poise in late-game situations, which was also evident last week vs. the Ravens, when his two biggest throws came on third downs in the final drive.
Moreover, considering how the LV Raiders’ defense ranks near the bottom of the league in takeaways and middle-of-the-pack in pressure rate, Shedeur Sanders has a far cleaner runway than the Ravens’ blitz-heavy front that swallowed him alive.
Still, tonight is a test because the pressure will be enormous. And Sanders will also have to fight history. Since 1999, Cleveland has started 42 quarterbacks, and they’ve lost every rookie debut in the last 13 attempts.
And last but not least, Shedeur still only has a week’s worth of first-team reps, definitely not the ideal amount of practice for a high-pressure game like today’s.
