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Dawn Staley Reacts to Shedeur Sanders’ Performance in First Start With Browns

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 9:58 PM ET

All eyes were on rookie Shedeur Sanders Friday night as he made his first NFL start in the Cleveland Browns’ preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.

While some were skeptical about how he’d perform, Sanders silenced doubts in the first half, looking as poised and confident as any quarterback — especially one who entered as the fourth option on the depth chart.

With Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel all sidelined, the door opened for Sanders to seize the moment, and he made the most of it — drawing reactions from several prominent figures across the sports world.

Dawn Staley Speaks Out on Shedeur Sanders' Performance

Basketball icon and South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley wasted no time praising Shedeur Sanders, expressing how happy she is for him.

"Super happy for @ShedeurSanders!" Staley said. "You can try to break a young fella’s spirit but you can’t touch his talent! Do the damn thing Shedeur!!!"

Super happy for @ShedeurSanders! You can try to break a young fella’s spirit but you can’t touch his talent! Do the damn thing Shedeur!!!
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) August 9, 2025

Sanders even drew praise from NBA superstar LeBron James, who lauded his performance and told the doubters to quiet down.

"That young looking good out there!" James posted. "@ShedeurSanders Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high."

He added, "And I don’t wanna hear that “It’s only preseason” bs. Cause if he was out there not going in y’all would be on his ass about it! So give credit and grace lames."

That young looking good out there! @ShedeurSanders Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 9, 2025

With the Browns holding a 14–7 lead at halftime, Sanders capped his first two quarters of professional football by completing 11 of 18 passes for 103 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers, while adding four rushes for 19 yards.

Both scores went to wide receiver Kaden Davis, and throughout the half Sanders delivered several pinpoint throws — showcasing he’s more than capable of competing at the NFL level, despite lingering skepticism about the hype he carried from his college days playing under his father, Deion Sanders.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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