Danny Kanell calls out Stephen A. Smith, Robert Griffin III following Shedeur Sanders debut

“Just a PSA for all NFL fans: All the same dudes who said Shedeur Sanders was ‘set up to fail’ bizarrely because he was forced to start a preseason game will now say he should be QB1,” Kanell wrote on X. “Both takes are stupid. Just don’t fall for either!”

Sanders looked impressive as he got the start Friday. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in over two quarters of action. At the time of his departure, the Browns had a 21-7 lead over the Carolina Panthers.

The expectation was Sanders would play 50 snaps in Friday’s game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. He wound up playing the entire first half and the first part of the third quarter.

Sanders got off to a bit of a slow start with a three-and-out, but had the Cleveland offense moving on the second drive of the game. However, on fourth down, he ran backward before eventually throwing the ball away. He bounced back well from there, though, finding Davis for his first touchdown in an NFL uniform on the ensuing possession.

Sanders initially came in as the No. 4 quarterback on the Browns’ initial depth chart earlier this week. Joe Flacco was listed as QB1, followed by Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. However, Pickett is dealing with an injury, and Stefanski said the Browns are being careful with Gabriel as he also nurses an injury.

That opened the door for Sanders to get the nod Friday night after he went No. 144 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, ending his surprising slide down the board. Stefanski said the former Colorado star showed his excitement about the opportunity at hand.