Shedeur Sanders’ NFL journey was never going to be quiet. The son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders entered the league with heavy expectations and a spotlight few rookies could carry. But instead of making his highly anticipated debut, Sanders finds himself inactive for the Browns’ season opener against the Bengals.
He is designated as the team’s emergency quarterback. This marks another twist in what has already been a dramatic path to the NFL. Once considered a top-tier prospect, Sanders fell hard during the 2025 Draft.
Browns inactives vs. the Bengals:
🏈QB Shedeur Sanders (emergency QB)
🏈DT Mike Hall Jr. (knee)
🏈G Zak Zinter
🏈T K.T. Leveston
🏈WR Gage Larvadain— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 7, 2025
From doubts about his demeanor in interviews to questions over his adaptability in the league, Sanders faced everything. The result was a stunning slide to the fifth round, where the Browns finally picked him up.
Analysts called it baffling, but it also set the stage for Sanders to prove doubters wrong in Cleveland. That opportunity hasn’t come yet. Kevin Stefanski has leaned on experience, starting veteran Joe Flacco while grooming rookie first-rounder Dillon Gabriel as the backup.
Sanders, for now, is locked into the developmental role. The decision speaks to the Browns’ cautious approach, but it also highlights just how crowded and complicated their quarterback room has become.
Fans have questioned the team’s strategy, especially after hearing that the front office leaned heavily on analytics in its evaluations. That has left some supporters frustrated and others convinced that Sanders is being overlooked.
Still, the noise around him hasn’t died down. For now, though, Sanders will watch from the sidelines. His NFL debut has been put on hold once more, his future tied to the performance of those ahead of him.
Catherine Hickman Explained How the Browns Evaluate Their QBs
With so much drama surrounding the Browns’ quarterback situation, questions are being asked by fans about how they decide their starters and bench players. Recently, Katherine Hickman, Browns’ assistant general manager, explained their process.
“That’s what makes our job fun and hard, I’d say,” Hickman said when asked about the QB evaluation process. “I’d say I just go back to like the plan that we have in place for these guys when it comes to developing is acquiring as many valuable data points as we can. Now we know these things take time.”
Hickman stated that she doesn’t have a crystal ball to predict whether the decisions made behind the scenes will work or not.
“None of them is going to take, you know, a back seat in how we plan and program for them with the reps that we have,” she added. “And then from there we’ll see what the spring brings, and we’ll evaluate all possibilities like we always do.”
Asst. GM Catherine Hickman on how they evaluate quarterbacks:
“I’d say just go back to the plan we have in place… acquiring as many valuable data points as we can.”
Does anybody actually speak football in this f*cking organization? pic.twitter.com/gfk56iK2ZN
— Roberto Shenanigans (@Rob_Shenanigans) September 2, 2025
Hickman and the Browns were trashed by fans for the casual approach toward such an important decision. Seeing Sanders being overlooked, despite having a great preseason opener, is only going to infuriate the fans more, especially if they end up losing to the Bengals.
Read More:
Jaxson Dart Stats: How Did Former Ole Miss Star Fare Compared To Shedeur Sanders’ NFL Debut?
5 Reasons Why Coach Prime’s Son Shedeur Sanders Won’t Start for Browns in 2025 NFL Season
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