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Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) warms up prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders Has Impressed Steelers' Aaron Rodgers

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Dec 27, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers talked up Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders as the two get set to face off for the first, and perhaps only, time in their NFL careers in Week 17.

While speaking with reporters this week, Rodgers admitted that he has kept up with Sanders' journey through college and to the professional ranks.

"I follow Shedeur, his career," Rodgers said. "I mean, any football fan watched him go from Jackson State to Boulder, and that being kind of a former Pac-12 school, obviously was pulling for him."

Rodgers also has the unique experience of sliding in the draft, as he fell all the way to the No. 24 overall pick in 2005, while Sanders wasn't selected by Cleveland until the fifth round of the 2025 draft.

The four-time MVP has been impressed by Sanders' fortitude and has liked what he's seen from him over a small sample size thus far.

"There's a tough draft slide, obviously, much longer wait than mine was," Rodgers said. "It seems like he's been patient and worked on his craft, and he's been playing pretty good the last few weeks."

Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Almost Teammates?

The Steelers were among the most quarterback-needy teams in the league entering the draft this past spring. They showed some level of interest in just about every top prospect at the position outside of Cam Ward, who was a lock to go No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, and Sanders was in that group.

The 23-year-old took a top-30 visit to Pittsburgh and seemed to draw genuine intrigue from the franchise late in the draft process, but that wasn't enough to convince them to take him.

The Steelers passed on Sanders several times, and he ultimately went No. 144 overall to the Browns after they had already picked fellow signal caller Dillon Gabriel in the third round.

It was essentially a foregone conclusion at the time of the draft that Rodgers would eventually end up in Pittsburgh, meaning it didn't need a starter for the 2025 campaign, but it still landed Ohio State's Will Howard in the sixth round.

The Steelers likely were never going to take Sanders after completing their evaluation of him for one reason or another, but there is a world in which they came away impressed and brought him in to sit behind Rodgers for a year before taking over in 2026.

Matchup Outlook

Rodgers has performed well for Pittsburgh in what is expected to be the final campaign of his storied career, throwing for 2,860 yards, 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has not thrown an interception since Week 10 while racking up 774 yards and four touchdowns during the team's three-game win streak.

Sanders, meanwhile, took over as the starter in Week 12 and has posted 1,103 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Browns have gone 1-4 with him at the helm, though they've been far more competitive over that entire span and just put up a fight against the Buffalo Bills last week in a 23-20 loss.

With the Steelers just a win or a Baltimore Ravens loss away from clinching the AFC North, the quarterback duel between Rodgers and Sanders should take center stage and provide some fireworks in a contest that could have major playoff implications.

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