After much hype, former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders finally made his NFL debut in a preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. While his NFL legend father, Deion Sanders, could not make it to his debut game as he was busy coaching the Colorado Buffaloes, his mom, Pilar Sanders, was there, and she posted about it on Instagram.
In her video, Pilar Sanders revealed that she was near the field as her son, Shedeur, started for the Browns. Cleveland opted to start the fifth-round draft pick and looked at how well he performed under the bright lights of the NFL.
“Aaaaaand you know itttt!!! Momma’s always present! #proudmom #shedeursanders #gobrowns #nfl #qb1 #footballmom #nflmom #12 #shedeursmom,” she posted on Instagram.
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The Cleveland Browns won that game, 30-10, with Shedeur completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdown passes, both during the first half. Both those touchdown passes were to Kaden Davis as he had an impressive debut.
Sanders had a lot to prove coming into Friday’s big game, as he ranked fourth on the Browns’ quarterback depth chart, with the uninjured Joe Flacco taking first, Kenny Pickett in second, and Dillon Gabriel ranking in third. However, his performance on Sunday could change things for the former Colorado standout.
He spoke about his performance after the game on Friday:
“When I get out there it’s just doing what I gotta do,” he told reporters. “Everything else is not in my hands, so I don’t worry about it. I just don’t think that deep into everything because it’s nothing you’re gonna be able to control. So why put energy in something that you can’t control?”
Next up for Sanders and the Cleveland Browns will be defending champions Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 16.
LeBron James Impressed With Shedeur Sanders’ Debut Performance
During his debut performance, Shedeur Sanders caught a lot of attention, including Cleveland great LeBron James, a native of nearby Akron, Ohio. The four-time NBA champion took to X and praised the rookie for his debut performance.
“That young (man) looking good out there. Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high,” LeBron said.
That young 🤴🏾 looking good out there! @ShedeurSanders Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high 🙌🏾🫡
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 9, 2025
James, who also played football in high school, is a long-time Browns fan and is not shy about his love for his hometown team.
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