Shedeur Sanders will draw his first NFL start on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, the team announced on Wednesday.
Sanders will start in place of Dillon Gabriel, who will not play as he recovers from a concussion. The Browns inserted Sanders last week against the Baltimore Ravens at half following Gabriel’s injury. Sanders completed just four passes for 47 yards in the loss. He also tossed an interception.
But Sanders is ready to put that performance behind him and prove he can be a long-term solution for the Browns.
“I know our fans have a lot of expectations and hope, and I would be doing a disservice to myself and disservice to the organization if I didn’t feel like I am the guy. I did everything I need to. I’m doing everything I need to prepare to be the best version of myself as possible,” Sanders said on Wednesday. “With the circumstances, everything got me sped up, and that’s great. I like pressure in life. I’m just excited for everything. So, I feel like I’m the guy, I know I’m the guy, but you just have to be able to see. The game got to speak.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Will Get Full Week of Prep
Sanders’ starting shot this will come after a full week of prep with the first-team offense. He had not taken any reps with the starters previously. The Browns will also be able to tailor the game plan more to Sanders’ strengths.
“You’re always trying to do that with all your players,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Make sure that they’re comfortable and it’s no different with Shedeur in there. You want to make sure that all the concepts are things that he feels confident in.
“Obviously having been around him over the months, you get a good sense of the things that fit his eyes, so to speak. So definitely want to lean into those type of things and he’s working very hard.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders in Good Spot Mentally
It’s been quite the week for Sanders. On top of getting his first NFL action, he also had his house broken into. However, Sanders feels ready for the opportunity and hasn’t been fazed by the incident or chatter off the field.
“I’m in a great place overall. In life, there’s always going to be adversity. Things aren’t always going to go as planned, but I would say, I’m prepared for everything,” Sanders said. “I know this is a trending topic that my house got broken into, but like, I’m in a mental space now to where, it’s not too much that could faze me, honestly, that’s going on. And none of my jewelry got took anyway, so, by the way, none of my jewelry got took.”
It’s a solid spot for Sanders to make his debut. He’ll face the Las Vegas Raiders, who have just two wins. The Raiders are coming off a 33-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys but are still a four-point favorite for the matchup.
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