The long-awaited moment arrived, and with a respectable performance. Shedeur Sanders made his NFL debut as the starting QB for the Cleveland Browns, earning an important victory over the Raiders in Las Vegas and even catching the attention of President Donald Trump himself.
The Browns sealed their victory at Allegiant Stadium with a 24-10 win, highlighted by a standout performance from the former Colorado Buffaloes signal-caller. The President of the United States even weighed in on social media.
“Shedeur Sanders was GREAT. Wins first game, career start, as a pro (for Cleveland). Great Genes. I TOLD YOU SO!,” President Donald Trump stated via Truth. Sanders was a cornerstone in this remarkable performance by his team in Las Vegas.
Shedeur’s debut comes with a record
At the start of the season, Shedeur Sanders was fourth in Kevin Stefanski’s pecking order, behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel. Twelve weeks later, the former Colorado standout made his debut as a starter and, with this victory, ended a streak of losing debuts dating back to 1999.
Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns.
“Shedeur Sanders is the first Browns QB to win his first career start since 1999. Prior to Sanders, #Browns quarterbacks had been 0–17 in their first starts — the longest such streak in NFL history,” the journalist Ari Meirov reported on his official X account.
Sanders’ stellar performance
Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders secured a historic 24-10 victory for the Browns over the Raiders in his first NFL regular-season start, making him the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut since 1995.
Sanders finished the day completing 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards, highlighted by his first career touchdown pass—a crucial 66-yard screen play in the fourth quarter—along with one interception. His performance, coupled with a dominant defensive effort, provided the spark the team needed to snap its losing streak.
