After enduring the biggest fall in the history of the NFL Draft, surviving uncertainties during preseason games, overcoming injuries, and even trade rumors, Shedeur Sanders was finally given his opportunity to start in the National Football League. And he made his point on debut.
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The Cleveland Browns were able to notch their sixth win since the start of the 2024 regular season. And the former Colorado Buffalo became the first Cleveland debutante to start 1-0 since 1999. However, head coach Kevin Stefanski seems yet to be convinced.
Stefanski has stated that there are plenty of things that need to be addressed before Sanders’ second start against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13. “I’m excited to get that first win under his belt,” the coach told the press earlier this week.
“The next thing is improvement. That’s what young players do, certainly young quarterbacks do. You get one game better, and that’s just from working at it, so that’ll be our focus,” added Stefanski.
Apart from suggesting that there are “some things we can clean up,” Stefanski seemed to be pleasantly surprised with Sanders’ performance. “There are things that we can clean up. That goes on all of us: The coaches, players, and quarterbacks. We can clean up some of our operations,” he said about helping Shedeur.
Perhaps that’s the norm when your quarterback totals 209 passing yards and a score while completing just 55% of his passes and turning the ball over. According to Stefanski, their Week 12 win stands as a testament to the team’s motto of “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.”
Now, some might argue that it’s hard for a backup QB to stay prepared when they aren’t seeing any first-team practice reps. But Stefanski seemed to suggest that he’s justifying his initial decision to keep Sanders away from the starters.
“The life of a backup player is a grind. You’ve really got to work when nobody is watching. Now, once you do get into that starter role, that’s when the reps come. That’s when the game plan is built around your comfort level,” added Stefanski.
Heading into Week 13, the Browns figure to be building their game plan around the comfort level of Sanders. The Colorado product has struggled with pressure in the pocket right through his career, and Stefanski is expecting teams to continue to blitz him at a high rate. “Defensive coordinators blitz young quarterbacks; it’s just what they do,” he said.
While that will occasionally present Sanders with some big play opportunities, it will also keep every Sunday afternoon stressful for the 23-year-old. Nevertheless, a win against the 49ers would go a long way in improving his odds of becoming the full-time starter in 2026.
