BEREA, OHIO - MAY 10: Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns smiles during a press conference with the media during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on May 10, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
It was the final few minutes of the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cleveland Browns when, suddenly, quarterback Shedeur Sanders was benched.
Sanders was recently drafted during the 2025 NFL Draft. He was the 144th pick in the fifth round – a surprising result because he was expected to be picked in the first round. Since then, he has had a good preseason with the Browns. During the game against the Rams, he attempted six passes, of which only three were completed, resulting in a total of 14 yards gained.
In Sanders’ debut the previous week, he far exceeded the team’s expectations.
In early August, Sanders suffered an oblique strain injury while they were practicing. This result led him to miss the second NFL preseason game in which the Browns beat the Eagles.
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!
A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.
Sanders seemed unaware that he had been benched. Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski decided to play Tyler Huntley, who had just signed with the team earlier this month.
Once Sanders realized that he was being benched, he walked toward his coach and asked him to let him play the final minutes. Sanders was seen frustrated when his coach would not let him go back in.
What does all of this mean to Sanders’ career? Sanders is expected to make the final roster as the fourth quarterback. He is under a four-year contract with the team, and he will likely serve as a backup player. The injury that he sustained at the beginning of the month set back his career aspirations.
As the NFL season begins in early September, it presents a new opportunity for Sanders to secure more playing time and defend his position. The first game of the NFL that the Cleveland Browns will play is against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7.
On January 15, former NBA Champion Gus Williams died from complications of a stroke. Williams,…
On March 11, University of Louisville Athletics Hall of Famer Junior Bridgeman died from a…
Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte recently announced that he would auction off three of the…
On March 5, tennis legend Fred Stolle died from cancer at 86 years old. Stolle…
On January 16, legendary sports broadcaster Bob Uecker passed away from lung cancer. Before his…
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson left the Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots…