After Forgetful NFL Debut, Shedeur Sanders Set to Get His First Start Against Raiders With Dillon Gabriel’s Concussion Protocol
Deion's son, Shedeur Sanders, gets his chance to start for the Cleveland Browns vs. the Las Vegas Raiders after a turbulent NFL debut.
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Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders (Image via Imagn Images)
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Colorado Buffaloes alum and 2025 fifth-round draft pick Shedeur Sanders will don the Cleveland Browns’ starting role for the first time in his career when they visit the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Sanders had previously played a sizable number of snaps in the loss against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday after their starter, Dillon Gabriel, was injured during the game.
The Cleveland Browns, despite being a six-member quarterback room, now consist of Gabriel, Sanders, Bailey Zappe, and the alleged molester Deshaun Watson. Watson was injured last season and is not set to play anytime until the 2026 season or longer if he’s convicted of the s*xual misconduct allegations. With Gabriel under concussion protocol after leaving the Ravens game early, that leaves Sanders as the premier option.
Sanders’ first game in Cleveland was a catastrophic night. Sanders completed just four of his sixteen attempts for 47 yards and threw an interception. Though the internet has been divided on where he stands as a player, a majority has given him grace, citing his lack of first-team reps and training ahead of the game.
Amid the game against the Ravens, the Browns’ linemen had to huddle up in the locker room at halftime to learn Sanders’ snap cadence to avoid being off guard or committing false starts.
As he goes in for the next game on Sunday, there’s not much time, but he has a weaker opponent in his debut start. The Browns have penciled in more reps for the young rookie in practice, where he will look forward to building a rapport with receivers Jerry Jeudy, Harold Fannin Jr., and Cedric Tillman. Sanders will be helped in backup by the former New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe.
Shedeur Sanders, the 42nd starter for the Browns since 1999
The Cleveland Browns, since resuming operations in 1999 after a short hiatus, have failed to find any success in the league. They have just four winning seasons in the last twenty-five years, with three playoff appearances and a sole playoff win in 2020.
The Browns have also been a revolving door for coaches and quarterbacks. They have had ten different head coaches with two interims, while 41 different quarterbacks have started for the franchise since 1999. As Shedeur Sanders gears up for his debut start against the Las Vegas Raiders, he’s set to be the 42nd.
Ty Detmer kicked off the Browns’ return in 1999 as their first starting QB in a game against their former rivals Pittsburgh Steelers. Detmar and the Browns suffered a humiliating start as the Steelers pummeled into Browns in a blowout 43-0 win. He was replaced with 1999 draft first-round pick Tim Couch, who started in 59 games for the Browns, the most by any Browns quarterback since returning.
Couch’s career was plagued by injuries, and the Browns had to utilize different backups. He suffered an injury at the highest point in his career in 2002 when he earned the Browns a playoff appearance, and Kelly Holcomb took over from there. Though Holcomb looked promising, it was again a sad story in Ohio.
They had different quarterbacks in the years that followed, including Luke McCown, Charlie Frye, Brady Quinn, and Derek Anderson. In fact, after 2001, it took the Browns almost eighteen years to finally have a single quarterback starting the entirety of the season. Baker Mayfield, who joined the team in 2018, started the whole of the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The Browns, unsatisfied with Mayfield despite being the first and only quarterback to win a playoff game, let him go in 2021. The Browns soon found themselves back to being a graveyard for quarterbacks. In 2023, they reached the heights of their quarterback troubles.
Though the Browns made the playoffs, they had five different quarterbacks in a single regular season. They had previously had four in a season, but five was a new record. In 2024, they started four different quarterbacks, and as Shedeur Sanders gears up for his first start, the 2025 season will already see three different starters.
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