Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders runs for a short gain during training camp, July 30, 2025, in Berea. Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders' Impact on Ticket Prices Already Being Seen

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Gavin Dorsey | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 6:25 PM ET

Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make his long-awaited NFL debut on Friday night, taking center stage as the Browns face the Panthers in preseason action.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski announced earlier in the week that Sanders would make the start under center following injuries to Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. With 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco sitting out of the team's preseason opener, Sanders and newly signed Tyler Huntley will split reps under center on Friday.

The "Shedeur Sanders Effect" is already apparent. The fifth-round NFL Draft pick out of Colorado had one of the best-selling rookie jerseys this offseason, and ahead of his anticipated preseason start, ticket prices are soaring.

On Friday morning, NFL reporter Andrew Siciliano shared a photo in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that showed ticket prices for the Browns' game against the Panthers. The image, which appears to come from the ticket retail company SeatGeek, includes tickets that cost as much as $324. The get-in price then was $52, and 90 minutes before kickoff, the cheapest available ticket on SeatGeek rose to $80 for a seat in the Bank of America Stadium nosebleeds.

Preseason football is a hot ticket tonight in Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/71xxH5epMN
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) August 8, 2025

The prices are common for regular season games, but far exceed the usual demand for those of August exhibition matches. The Browns and Panthers will not be playing many of their starters, but fans are evidently clamoring to attend the game to get a first look at Sanders in the NFL.

SeatGeek isn't the only ticket website experiencing a price boom for Friday's game. According to Kyle Zorn, the Head of Content for TickPick, get-in prices have risen from $16 to $43 per seat since Sanders was named the starter on Wednesday. Zorn also noted that it's the most tickets TickPick has sold for a home Panthers preseason game.

Sanders starred at the University of Colorado in 2023 and 2024 under his father, head coach Deion Sanders. The quarterback led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record and a trip to the Alamo Bowl last season alongside Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and was named a Second-Team All-American.

However, Sanders shockingly fell in April's NFL Draft. Despite originally being predicted to be a first- or second-round selection, Sanders didn't hear his name called until the event's third day. The Browns ended Sanders' slide in the fifth round, picking him with the No. 144 overall pick.

Sanders has been competing with Flacco, Pickett and Gabriel this offseason for Cleveland's starting quarterback job. While preseason games are not indicative of how a player's professional career will go, Friday night's bout against Carolina is a significant opportunity for Sanders to increase his standing among the Browns' position battle.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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