With rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel dealing with a concussion he suffered in Week 11, fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders is set to make his first NFL start when the Las Vegas Raiders host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
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Sanders received his first regular-season action in the Browns’ 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. The rookie went 4-of-16 passing for 47 yards and an interception. He added 16 yards on the ground.
With a full week of practice with the first team, Cleveland hopes Sanders shows progress against the 2-8 Raiders.
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Former Las Vegas head coach Antonio Pierce thinks Sanders is built for the moment. During an appearance on CBS Sports’ “NFL Today” on Sunday, Pierce suggested the Raiders would have drafted Sanders if he were still the coach in April’s draft.
“First of all, when I was at the Raiders, (Sanders) was one of our top choices,” Pierce said. “If I were to stay there, there’s no way he goes to the fifth round. I’m making that choice. And the decision that we’re drafting, (owner) Mark Davis was on board with that. Our organization was on board. We believed in what we saw with Shedeur.”
Instead, the Raiders fired Pierce and hired head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll opted to bring in former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith for 2025. Smith has struggled in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s system, throwing for 2,082 yards, 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions through the first ten games.
Pierce thinks Sanders is criticized too harshly because he’s the son of Deion Sanders.
“The guy plays well, it’s just that he’s Deion’s son, and we overly criticize this kid from day one at the start of the draft,” Pierce said. “And again, you might not like his persona. You might not like his aura about himself, but Cleveland does.”
Sanders will have a chance to prove to the Raiders that they made a mistake by letting him fall to the Browns in the fifth round. Regardless, Las Vegas has plenty of questions about its quarterback situation before the 2026 draft.
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