Shedeur Sanders got his first taste of NFL action in the Cleveland Browns’ preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Sanders completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns’ 30-10 win.
He’s the latest high-profile quarterback Cleveland’s selected in the draft. The Browns took him in the fifth round, No. 144 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, though many expected him to go much earlier.
The early signs in the preseason are good so far. Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel isn’t surprised at his success early on.
‘Knowing his family, knowing his dad for a long time, [he’s] well prepared for the moment,’ Manziel told USA TODAY Sports. ‘Well prepared for everything that comes with being in the NFL and playing the quarterback position.’
Manziel, who won the Heisman Trophy during his Texas A&M career, understands the pressure of being in the spotlight as a college quarterback transitioning to the NFL.
Sanders has discussed staying focused during training camp, going so far as to say his Hall of Fame father Deion shouldn’t attend Browns practices during training camp.
‘I think he is unique,’ Manziel said. ‘He beats to his own drum. He is going to be different than a lot of guys that you’re going to see around the league.
I think he’s done the right thing every step of the way. At the same time, you want to continue to be yourself. You don’t want to change what’s made you great and something that’s ingrained in your DNA.’
Manziel spent two seasons with the Browns, posting a 2-6 record as a starter. Amid multiple off-field incidents, the Browns released him at the start of the 2016 league year.
Sanders has plenty of attention, but the Browns list him as the No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart. Veteran Joe Flacco is the clear frontrunner in training camp but the 40-year-old veteran isn’t the franchise’s plan for the future.
Manziel thinks Sanders will get his chance sooner rather than later.
‘Looking at it from an outside perspective, somebody that obviously has ties to Cleveland, just keep going, keep balling, keep trying to get better,’ Manziel said. ‘Eventually his day’s going to come to where he is the starter there and hopefully he can make the most of it and he’s got people excited.’
Browns QB depth chart
Flacco sits atop the depth chart in a crowded quarterback room. Minor injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel saw the team add another quarterback, Tyler Huntley, to the roster during training camp.
Here’s how things look ahead of the Browns’ preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles:
Joe Flacco
Kenny Pickett
Dillon Gabriel
Shedeur Sanders
Tyler Huntley
Deshaun Watson (injured)