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NFL Makes Historic Shedeur Sanders Announcement During First Browns Start

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Nov 23, 2025 4:34 PM ET

Shedeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns dropped their third-straight game in Week 11, falling to 2-8 on the 2025 NFL season after a 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravnes. In Week 12, the Browns looked to end the skid, hitting the road to face Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders.

During the second quarter against the Ravens, Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel was forced to leave the game early after suffering a concussion. This made way for Sanders to make his NFL debut. After Gabriel missed two days of practice leading up to Week 12, he returned on Friday, but was still ruled out against Baltimore, leaving Sanders to make his first professional start.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) walks off the field following a game against the Baltimore Ravens.© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

And Sanders has entered rare territory with his first start, becoming just the second son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer to start an NFL game at quarterback. The former Colorado Buffaloes star is the son of legendary cornerback Deion Sanders, who played for the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys.

Shedeur Sanders joins former Denver Broncos quarterback Brian Griese as the only players to accomplish this feat. Griese is the son of Hall of Famer Bob Griese, who quarterbacked the Miami Dolphins to their 17-0 season in 1972, the only undefeated season in NFL history.

"Shedeur Sanders joins Brian Griese as the only sons of Pro Football Hall of Famers to start an NFL game at QB ⌚️," NFL+ wrote on X.

Shedeur Sanders joins Brian Griese as the only sons of Pro Football Hall of Famers to start an NFL game at QB ⌚️

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— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) November 23, 2025

Up next for Sanders and the Browns is a Week 13 matchup with Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers, a game that could feature either Gabriel or Sanders as the starter.

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

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