Shedeur Sanders is, after 11 games spent waiting on the bench for an opportunity to play, finally attaining another first.
On Monday, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported that the Cleveland Browns were planning to start the fifth-round rookie quarterback in this coming Sunday’s game at the Las Vegas Raiders. He will replace Dillon Gabriel, who is currently in concussion protocol after sustaining a hit during a 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday.
It will mark his first start in an official game – he had previously done so in the team’s preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers in August. He will also be the 42nd different starter in franchise history:
#Browns Shedeur Sanders is expected to start Sunday’s game in Las Vegas with Dillon Gabriel in the concussion protocol. Barring something unexpected, Sanders will make his starting debut, becoming the 42nd #Browns starter since 1999.
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It marks a massive reversal for head coach Kevin Stefanski, who has been backing Gabriel for the past few weeks. He said about the possibility of switching to Sanders in the aftermath of Gabriel’s injury:
“We’ll look at it. …He’s gonna battle like he does. …We trust all of our guys. Trust our guys to perform, and he’s no different. Playing a backup role, as we’ve talked about over the years, that’s tough to come in there. But we trust him.”
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Shedeur Sanders’ “premiere” against the Ravens on Sunday was rough: only four of sixteen passing attempts completed for 47 yards and an interception to Nate Wiggins, as well as a sack taken from Kyle Hamilton, as the Browns lost 23-16 after being held scoreless in the second half.
He reacted afterward:
“I don’t think I played good at all.”
Meanwhile, Kevin Stefanski admitted that those snaps that the rookie took were his first with the starters since the Draft. Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan took umbrage at those remarks on Monday’s episode of ESPN’s GET UP:
“What the hell is going on in Cleveland? Are you not giving this kid a chance? … Why the he did you trade up for him in the first place? Or is it something about the kid that you can’t stand?”
Kickoff for the game at the Raiders is at 4:05 pm ET on CBS.