The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation took a new turn Sunday as rookie Shedeur Sanders made his official NFL debut in a 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders entered in the third quarter after starter Dillon Gabriel was ruled out with a concussion, giving fans the moment they had been calling for all season.
Gabriel, drafted in the third round, had started since Week 5 after Joe Flacco was benched and later traded; he completed 7-of-10 passes for 68 yards in the first half before leaving for evaluation.
Sanders, taken in the fifth round after a surprising draft slide, had not played a regular-season snap until Sunday.
After the loss, he reflected on his first real NFL playing experience.
“It was a rough day overall,” Sanders told reporters. “But the thing that I was excited about is just being able to get out there. It’s the first time I got hit since my last game at Colorado. So just having that feeling back is good… I know I’m made for it.”
“Going out there in a live game… And the way the guys, the way the whole line, running back, receivers, defense, all rallied around, that’s all you can ask for as a quarterback,” he added.
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Though Sanders ignited the crowd at Huntington Bank Field after replacing Gabriel, his debut was largely underwhelming, finishing just 4-of-16 for 47 yards, with one interception and two sacks.
He completed short passes to Cedric Tillman and David Njoku, along with a deep 25-yard completion to Harold Fannin Jr., but also fumbled after a sack by Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton and finished the day with a 13.5 passer rating.
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Gabriel’s concussion at least opens the door for Sanders to be assessed further as the team’s starter going forward, something fans have long demanded.
But at 2-8, Cleveland faces a difficult decision: Maintain stability with Gabriel (if healthy)? Or pivot to Sanders and accelerate his development in a season already slipping away?
The upcoming schedule offers little margin for error: road trips to Las Vegas, Cincinnati and Chicago, plus home games against San Francisco, Tennessee, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh.
Each matchup will test the Browns’ ability to compete while managing a quarterback room that remains uncertain.
