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What has Cleveland Browns' rookie QB Shedeur Sanders shown us so far?
When the Cleveland Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, there was more shock than celebration.
Once projected by some as a first-round quarterback – even a top-10 pick – Sanders tumbled despite eye-catching college production and the unavoidable shine of his surname.
The slide sparked questions about his make-up, interview performance, and perceived lack of elite physical traits, with some evaluators openly critical ahead of draft day.
Fast forward to December, and Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion, finds himself at the heart of yet another NFL conversation. After a chaotic quarterback carousel in Cleveland, the Browns have now committed to Sanders as their starter through the end of the 2025 season.
Here, we break down how Sanders has fared so far and what we can expect from the 22-year-old going forward.
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Recent performances
Statistically, the line reads like a blend of promise and caution. In four appearances – including three starts – Sanders has thrown for 769 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions, completing a shade over 52 per cent of his passes with a QBR lingering in the teens.
Those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, especially in a league where accuracy and efficiency often define quarterback competence. But raw totals, particularly for a rookie on a struggling Browns roster, don’t tell the whole story. What’s harder to dismiss is his trajectory.
In his most recent start, Sanders exploded for 364 passing yards, three touchdowns, and a rushing score in a tight loss to the Tennessee Titans, becoming only the second rookie in the Super Bowl era to combine that stat line, putting him in rarefied company with Joe Burrow.
That performance, however bittersweet, showed a glimpse of the big-play juice that made him a collegiate star – staying poised under pressure, stretching the field and finding rhythm against a defense that brought heavy heat.
Yet that big outing also highlighted lingering traits scouts warned about before the draft. Advanced numbers show Sanders holding the ball well over three and a half seconds on average in that game, one of the longest times to throw among quarterbacks all season, which contributed to unnecessary negative plays.
That’s the state of play with Sanders right now: flashes of high-end ability in fits and starts, but not yet enough consistency in decision-making, rhythm or pocket quickness to quell the sceptics.
For all the chatter, there’s a real narrative beneath: a player drafted much later than expected, thrust into starter reps not because the Browns planned around him but because circumstances demanded it, and now quietly leading all rookie quarterbacks in key counting stats since taking over.
Fans, media, and even coaching staff oscillate between optimism and impatience as Cleveland flirt with futility this season; there’s hope in Sanders’ ceiling, but frustration in the floor.
The verdict so far
So what are we seeing from Shedeur Sanders in 2025? Not a finished product, certainly. Not yet a franchise quarterback in the making – at least by traditional measures. But a young signal-caller pushing back against draft day derision, capable of electrifying highs and exasperating lows.
Four games don’t define a career, but in a season where the Browns have given him the reins, Sanders’ body of work is already more intriguing than many expected back in April.
The question now isn’t just “can he lead Cleveland to wins?” It’s whether the flashes of promise are a foundation or merely a footnote in a season that could shape his long-term future.
