By Robert MarviShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberOn Sunday, Shedeur Sanders will make his first start as an NFL quarterback when the Cleveland Browns visit the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders, like the Browns, are a dismal 2-8, but plenty of people are predicting that he will crash and burn.
Thus far, Sanders has played just one game this season and completed 25% of his pass attempts. Experts have plenty of concerns about him, including but not limited to the excessive amount of time he holds onto the football before making decisions. Sunday will be the first real test for the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders after being hyped up big-time over the last calendar year or so.
While the younger Sanders has reportedly not gotten any first-team reps in practice lately, one Browns source said that he has looked satisfactory during practices of late.
"He's had a good week," said the source, per CBS Sports. "Thrown the ball well and getting more comfortable. Not perfect operationally but that is expected for any rookie. He'll make plays and we want to see how much we can limit mistakes. Good week overall though."
...Read more: Colts’ Charvarius Ward Was Considering Retirement After Injury
Last season, while at the University of Colorado Boulder, the younger Sanders led the Big 12 conference with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdown passes, and his 74% pass completion rate was the highest of any player in NCAA Division I FBS football. But his reputation was polarizing, and it wasn't just because people were unsure whether those excellent numbers would translate to the next level.
During the pre-draft process, a number of people across the NFL said some very unsavory things about him and his attitude. While one NFC quarterbacks coach called him "a really, really talented passer," another coach said the time he spent with the signal-caller was "the worst formal interview I've ever been in in my life. He's so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. … But the biggest thing is, he's not that good."
The fact that the Browns are struggling so much and, as usual, are in quarterback hell means they may have nothing to lose by throwing into the turbulent waters of the NFL and seeing if he will sink or swim while the league's sharks pursue him.
Read more: Giants Linked to Intriguing Head Coaching Candidate From NFC Opponent
If the younger Sanders plays poorly and affirms the negative things people have said about him, Cleveland will lose several more games and increase its chances of getting a very high draft pick in April. But if he shows any glimmer of hope, perhaps not so much with his results but with his process and modus operandi, it could give the beleaguered franchise a trickle of optimism moving forward.
When it comes to the Cleveland sports scene, any kind of tangible optimism is always treasured.
For more on the Browns and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
NFLJameis Winston Sends Bold Message After Giants’ Last-Minute QB Decision2 min read
NFLPackers’ Matt LaFleur’s Words About Justin Jefferson Say It All3 min read
NFLReport: 49ers Expected to Release Brandon Aiyuk in Shocking 2025 Season Twist3 min read
NFLJon Gruden to Giants Picks Up Steam With Latest Development3 min read
NFLBrowns Legend Has Huge Prediction for Shedeur Sanders’ First Start3 min read
NFLNFL Punishment Announced After Justin Herbert Incident in Chargers-Jaguars3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsIsraeli Strikes Kill at Least Two Dozen in Gaza Amid Fragile Ceasefire5 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Mamdani and MTG, Two Sides of the Same Coin5 min read
PoliticsBomb Threats Target Democratic Lawmakers After Trump ‘Traitors’ Posts6 min read
NewsDonald Trump Reacts To Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Resignation4 min read
NewsBolsonaro Arrested in Alleged Plot to Escape Prison Sentence4 min read
PoliticsRepublicans Are Facing a Generational Rift5 min readTrending
Winter StormWinter Storm Warning As 18 Inches of Snow To Hit5 min read
Higher EducationFull List of Degrees Not Classed As ‘Professional’ by Trump Admin8 min read
Product recallAmazon Recall: Threat-To-Life Warning Issued For Items Pulled Nationwide4 min read
Housing MarketHousing Market Reaches Point Not Seen Since Years After 2008 Crash5 min read
Donald TrumpDonald Trump Faces Articles of Impeachment Before Christmas3 min readOpinion
OpinionConventional Wisdom: Price of Culture Edition3 min read
OpinionLatinos Catch the Fish. Why Aren’t They at the Decision-Making Table? | Opinion5 min read
OpinionWhy Is the US Punishing Legal Immigrants? | Opinion5 min read
OpinionWhat Is an American?6 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: MAGA Infighting Edition2 min read
