After the first three drives of Shedeur Sanders’ first preseason start, which included a three-and-out, a turnover-on-downs, and a punt, some likely questioned whether Shedeur Sanders really had a fighting chance in the Cleveland Browns four-player quarterback competition.
But Sanders quickly changed that narrative with two impressive touchdown drives in the second quarter and one in the third, and he quickly went from trending on social media for missing open throws to trending for his multi-touchdown performance.
Sanders completed 11 of 18 passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns—both to Northwest Missouri State alum Kaden Davis—with a 113.9 passer rating, while rushing for 19 yards on four carries in the first half.
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The rookie’s performance caught the attention of several notable celebrities—his father Deion Sanders, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, and former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, to name a few—but one that Sanders will likely want to pay attention to is that from legendary Browns QB Bernie Kosar.
The former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion (he was Troy Aikman’s backup with the world champion Dallas Cowboys in 1994) took to social media to let everyone know that he was impressed with what he saw from Sanders in the first half.
“Better than Good 1st Half of Football 🏈 #UMatter #DawgPound @ShedeurSanders,” Kosar wrote on X.
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Kosar turned a few heads just last week when he made some cryptic comments about Sanders and the Browns’ QB race during a radio interview with 92.3 The Fan.
“I would caution fans…let’s sacrifice those old veteran guys,” Kosar stated. “Don’t dissipate the confidence and belief of a young quarterback. We kill more quarterbacks by putting them in there early and stuff. To have the veterans play early, especially in September, I think would be very productive for the long-term careers of the team and the young quarterbacks.”
Sanders finished his first preseason start with 14 completions on 23 pass attempts for 138 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 106.8 passer rating.
While he did take two sacks, but he protected the ball, didn’t make any egregious decisions, and most importantly he showed he’s just as much in the QB competition as Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, or Dillon Gabriel.
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Shedeur Sanders Sends Clear Message Ahead of Browns Preseason Debut
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