By Rowan Fisher-ShottonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberCleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make his first official NFL start this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
The decision comes after fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel entered concussion protocol following Week 11, thrusting Sanders into the spotlight just days after a rocky debut against the Baltimore Ravens.
In the 23-16 loss to Baltimore, Sanders completed just four of 16 passes for 47 yards, one interception, 16 rushing yards, and finished with a 13.5 passer rating.
On Friday's episode of ESPN's "First Take," Stephen A. Smith warned that this could be a "make-or-break game" for Sanders' future in Cleveland.
"It's absolutely a make-or-break game for his (Sanders') future with the Browns. I mean, I'm not going to say the future in the NFL because there's always somebody that might give you a second chance and grab you. But in terms of his future in Cleveland, it's this Sunday. He cannot look like trash. He cannot go out there and complete 25% of his passes. He cannot look lost and completely discombobulated."
"I'm not telling you you've got to go out there and look like a star or anything like that," Smith added. "But he cannot look completely clueless. He cannot look lost. It cannot replicate what he did that past weekend, and he's still going to have a future in Cleveland. I don't believe it for one second. That's what I believe is on the line right now when we're talking about Shedeur Sanders."
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Drafted in the fifth round (No. 144 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders arrived in Cleveland after a decorated college career at Jackson State and Colorado, where he threw for 7,364 yards and 64 touchdowns across two seasons.
In 2024, he ended with 4,134 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns and a 74% completion rate (led the FBS), en route to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Buffaloes first finish inside the AP Top 25 since 2016.
Despite his college success and famous lineage as Deion Sanders' son, Shedeur began the season buried on the depth chart behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Gabriel.
Flacco and Pickett were later traded, leaving Sanders as the backup until Gabriel's injury in Week 11.
...Read More: Raiders’ Pete Carroll Sends Strong Message to Geno Smith After Cowboys Loss
Looking ahead to Sunday's game, both teams enter at 2-8, with Cleveland on a three-game losing streak and Las Vegas dropping four straight.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski has faced criticism for limiting Sanders’ first-team reps, leaving him unprepared for his debut, and Sanders himself admitted that Week 11 was "the first time I got hit since my last game at Colorado."
Oddsmakers list the Raiders as 4-point favorites, with the over/under set at 36.5 points.
Sunday should clarify whether Sanders can settle in with full starter reps or if last week’s struggles were a sign of more to come.
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