Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders exited Sunday’s game in the first half with a gruesome hand injury.
Sanders ran to the sideline late in the first half and immediately retreated to the locker room. He had a bloodied pinky that appeared to get torn up during a play. Dillon Gabriel entered in relief of Sanders and was met by boos from the crowd.
After a commercial break, the CBS broadcast showed a close-up of Sander’s bloodied pinky, which drew quite the reaction online.
“What the (expletive) was the shot of Shedeur Sanders pinky? Did someone tackle him with a knife???” one fan said.
Another added, “No need to ever show the Shedeur pinky finger injury again. Thanks.”
“Yikes, that closeup of Shedeur Sanders pinky finger was not pretty,” a fan said. “That’s his throwing hand too. Get some stitches in that asap.”
Sanders was having a solid game before the injury. He was 10 of 13 for 109 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also led the team with 35 rushing yards on just three carries.
Despite how the injury looked, Sanders returned after the Bills‘ ensuing drive.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders’ Future Uncertain After Injury
The injury was not pretty, and it remains unclear how it will affect Sanders moving forward. He was expected to start the final three games of the season as an audition as the Browns evaluate whether he can be a long-term answer at quarterback.
Cleveland holds two first-round picks in the upcoming draft and could use one — or even both — to pursue a quarterback at the top of the board. Still, Sanders has an opportunity to state his case. Even amid growing chatter about his future, the rookie has tried to stay present and focused on the task at hand.
“I just go out here and enjoy my day. Work hard. Do everything I can. If I’m here, I’m here. If I’m not, I’m not. It’s nothing in my control,” Sanders said recently. “So I try to control what I can control. That’s going out there, making the right reads, doing the right things, being the person I am and things will fall how they’re supposed to.”
Sanders is 1-3 as a starter in Cleveland and has experienced his share of highs and lows. Each week has brought new lessons, but the rookie believes the progress is starting to click.
“It’s like this is the foundation. This is where I’m building from, where I’m understanding different things,” Sanders said. “This is where everything’s translating for me. So I’m excited about it. I’m extremely excited about it because I know we’re going to get ‘em. I know we’re going to get ‘em eventually.”
Shedeur Sanders Building Relationship With Receivers
Part of the issue for Sanders has been his lack of chemistry with his receivers. He did not receive any work with the first team offense prior to replacing Gabriel during a Week 11 matchup. Gabriel had exited the game with a concussion.
Sanders has preached that he’s been looking to build trust with his receivers, notably No. 1 wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
“It’s not always going to be perfect — it’s relationships. Every relationship has ups and downs, but you stick together through everything. Just because one week we’re really connected and the next week we’re a little off doesn’t mean we didn’t make progress,” Sanders said. “There are a lot of positive things you can take from each game, especially when it comes to trust and learning. Every moment, every rep, everything matters when you’re building that connection.”
Sanders entered Sunday’s game with 946 passing yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions.
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