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Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns
No matter what happens with Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders from here, the fact that he at least got a chance to show what he can do as the quarterback of a very depleted offense with a scant offensive line and not much to offer for wide receivers is some validation. We all know Sanders’ draft-week tale–from first-round pick to fifth-round plummet–but he’s shown he has some chops.
Consider that Pro Football Focus ranks the Browns offensive line No. 30 out of 32 in the NFL. Or that the team’s top three receivers all rank in the bottom third of the league in PFF’s grading system: Jerry Jeudy is No. 103 out of 133, Cedric Tillman is No. 115, and Isaiah Bond is No. 110. To be fair, Sanders rates No. 40 out 40 at the quarterback spot, but he is a rookie with very little to work with.
The fact that he has managed to win two games at all is pretty remarkable. Now, against Cincinnati, he will try to put up one more notch in his 2025 belt and see if that is enough to warrant a chance in 2026.
Browns’ Shedeur Sanders ‘Under the Microscope’
Sanders has managed to impress Joe Burrow, the Bengals quarterback who came into the NFL under much different circumstances–he was the No. 1 overall pick in 2020. Sanders’ situation with the Browns has not been easy from the get-go and Burrow appreciates his perseverance.
“I really enjoyed watching him in college, I thought he made a lot of plays. I thought he could throw it,” Burrow said. “Obviously, given who his dad is, he knows how to handle the media, knows how to handle the spotlight. He has certainly been more under the microscope than any other—what did he get drafted, fourth round? Fifth-round? Certainly, under the microscope more than any other fifth-round pick that’s ever been, in the history of football.
“Every clip that I see, he certainly seems to be handling it well. Says most of the right things in the media. Just is who he is, he is himself. That’s what you want out of a football player. So he seems to be handling it the right way.”
GettyCincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow.
Joe Burrow a ‘Challenge’ for Browns Defense
Certainly, the Browns will have plenty to worry about with Burrow as they try to finish on a strong note with a second straight win, and try to move Sanders’ record up to 3-4 as the starter. The Bengals are 6-10 overall but 5-2 with Burrow under center–and the team has confirmed that Burrow will start.
For a Browns defense that has been among the best in the league all year, this will not be easy.
“It’s a huge challenge every week in this league, but certainly when you’re going up against Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, multiple tight ends, Chase Brown is a great running back,” coach Kevin Stefanski said.
“They had a good rush attack. Each week presents its own challenges, but this is a unit that’s playing, if not the highest, at one of the highest levels on the offensive side of the ball. So, we’ll obviously always try to put our guys in position to go make plays. But it comes down to their players versus our players.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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