The first NFL start of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders went about as well as anyone could have anticipated. As a result, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski seems to want to see more from the former fifth-round pick.
Sanders redeemed himself on Sunday after his lackluster performance in relief of Dillon Gabriel in Week 11, showing flashes of pinpoint accuracy and poise in the team’s 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
After the game, Stefanski was non-committal on who would be the starter moving forward, given that Gabriel is set to come off the NFL’s concussion protocol. On Monday, that decision finally came from the former Coach of the Year to hand the reins over to Sanders.
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According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, despite the fact that Gabriel is now off of concussion protocol, it will be Sanders who will start in the team’s Week 13 game against the San Francisco 49ers.
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Gabriel left a lot to be desired in his six starts thus far on the season, only one of which Cleveland was able to win. So it certainly makes sense that Sanders will now get a chance to be the starter moving forward, given his steady play in Week 12.
Still, given how hesitant Stefanski has seemed to be to give Sanders the opportunity Browns fans have been desperately waiting for, it is somewhat surprising that he seems to have had a change of heart.
There is still plenty for Sanders to work on moving forward. Notably, Sanders has completed just 41.7 percent of his passes in his limited opportunities this year.
Regardless, this decision presents a clear opportunity for Sanders to prove that he has what it takes to be the quarterback of the future in Cleveland, which he seemingly fully intends to do based on his postgame comments after Sunday’s game.
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