Colin Cowherd Names Shedeur Sanders the NFL’s Top Rookie QB After Stunning Rise

Shedeur Sanders has thrown 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions since taking over as the Browns starting quarterback.

Colin Cowherd Names Shedeur Sanders the NFL’s Top Rookie QB After Stunning Rise

Shedeur Sanders and Colin Cowherd (Image via IMAGO)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

It took just four games for Shedeur Sanders to win over a staunch critic of his. Colin Cowherd doubted Sanders from the beginning. Of course, the longtime FOX Sports contributor formulated his views based on a myriad of rumors that circulated across various media platforms.

That’s just one side of it. But the biggest reason behind the national media’s disdain toward Sanders stemmed from his lineage. Being the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders generated cries of nepotism across the country. And instead of evaluating Shedeur based on his talents as a football player, he was being judged under the microscope of privilege.

Despite racking up a staggering 70% pass completion rate and 40+ touchdowns behind one of the worst offensive lines in college football at Colorado, Sanders’ stock faded by the time the draft rolled around. He fell to the fifth round when, eventually, the Cleveland Browns took him.

Later, it was revealed that the Sanders family turned down offers from the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles because Shedeur had a better chance of starting in Cleveland than displacing Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts. They were proved wrong, as clearly Kevin Stefanski trusted the experience of Joe Flacco over what fans wanted.

However, Stefanski had to eat his words when the losses piled up. Flacco left the building, and Dillon Gabriel failed to handle the pressure of being a Browns quarterback. Concussion ended Gabriel’s run as the signal caller, and Stefanski had no choice but to rely on Sanders.

Shedeur Sanders handled the pressure a lot better than most anticipated

Sanders’ debut wasn’t great. He threw 4 completions from 16 attempts and threw 1 interception against the Ravens, who struggled to win games themselves. Sanders gets a pass since he played without taking a single practice snap with the first-team players before essentially being thrown to the wolves.

Colin Cowherd Names Shedeur Sanders the NFL’s Top Rookie QB After Stunning Rise
Shedeur Sanders (Image via IMAGO)

With Gabriel on the protocol, Sanders became the main signal caller, much to the delight of the Browns and Shedeur Sanders fans. His dad flew from Colorado to Vegas, and his 23-year-old son threw for 209 yards, 1 touchdown, and an interception in a win against the Las Vegas Raiders. He is part of the reason Chip Kelly doesn’t have a job anymore.

Anyways, it was a proud moment for sure, and for once, the Browns fans thought they had their man. Sanders’ numbers took a hit next week. He threw for 149 yards on 16 completions, 1 touchdown, and took 3 sacks in a defeat. However, he was facing a 9-4 San Francisco 49ers team.

Sanders really blew up against the Titans. Granted, the Titans are one of the worst-run teams in the league, but they still needed to be dealt with, and Sanders did. He threw for 364 yards on 23 completions from 43 pass attempts, 3 touchdowns, and one pick.

This is a noteworthy statistic, as Sanders became the first rookie quarterback to throw for over 300 yards in 2025. For context, Cam Ward, the first overall draft pick, recorded 265 yards against the Cardinals; Gabriel’s best performance was 221 yards against the Steelers; Brady Cook of the New York Jets posted 163 yards against the Dolphins in his only game; Max Brosmer of the Minnesota Vikings managed 126 yards and four interceptions against the Seahawks; and Riley Leonard of the Indianapolis Colts had 145 yards and one interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

This not only convinced Cowherd that he may have harshly judged Sanders but also compelled him to declare that Sanders could be the best rookie quarterback picked in the 2025 draft.

Every team in this league passed on him at least 4 times… Since becoming a starter, Shedeur is the best rookie QB in the league… Through three starts [of his NFL career], with the weakest receiving room in the NFL [32nd per Pro Football Focus] and the third-worst offensive line [PFF], he has virtually nothing to work with. Five touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 94 passer rating. It should also be noted that Shedeur Sanders did not get any work with the first-team offense before he started.

Colin Cowherd said on The Herd

The situation is shifting in Cleveland. Stefanski seems to be warming up to the idea that Sanders could be his ticket to stick around as the head coach. Play the guy that the crowd wants to see and slowly develop him into a superstar.

The big news around the blocks is that Sanders is taking increased first-team reps as the Browns prepare to face the 9-4 Chicago Bears.

Also Read: