How Shedeur Sanders is approaching potential to make start for Browns
· Yahoo Sports
BEREA ― It was a concussion which opened the door for Shedeur Sanders to finally start as a Browns rookie in 2025. It may be a concussion which opens the door for him to make his first start of the 2026 season.
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Sanders will be in line to start when the Browns play at the New Orleans Saints Nov. 8 if Deshaun Watson is unable to play due to a concussion. Watson ended up in concussion protocol Nov. 3 after complaining of symptoms from a first-quarter helmet-to-helmet hit in the Week 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The second-year pro believes he's a far different player as he prepares to potentially start against the Saints than a year earlier. He made his first start as a rookie in Week 12 at the Las Vegas Raiders because then-starter Dillon Gabriel had left the previous week's game against the Baltimore Ravens at halftime with a concussion.
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"Last year, I'll say I was able to see what I needed to see, feel different things during the games and understand what I need to get better at," Sanders said Nov. 4. :So then going to this off season, we worked on that and training camp, of course, and this off season. Overall I'm just excited for the opportunity."
The last time Sanders had the opportunity, he turned it into a season-ended stretch of seven consecutive starts. What it didn't turn into was the starting job for the following season, which ultimately went back to Watson after missing a full season and a half because of his Achilles injury.
Sanders did get several months to compete with Watson for the job, going throughout the offseeason and most of the preseason. Browns coach Todd Monken finally announced Watson as the starter for the season opener on Aug. 24.
That has reduced Sanders' practice reps basically been reduced to individual work, scout-team reps and a "Hungry Dawgs" period after practice. There's also the five game reps he's gotten in a pinch when Watson's been knocked out of the game on roughing-the-passer penalites: One in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, and four plays on the Browns' first drive against the Steelers.
"Yeah, I mean I'm comfortable when the ball's in my hands in general," Sanders said. "So just go in there, do what I have to do, play the long game, win everything and just be excited to get out there."
If Sanders does start against the Saints, it'll be on him to try and get the Browns to overcome wht has been a season-long issue. The offense has yet to score on their opening drive through eight games.
In fact, the Browns have been bad in the first quarter in general. They've been outscored a combined 65-13 in that quarter,
The Browns aer averaging just 44 total yards a game in the first quarter. That's includes seven total yards in the first quarter of a Week 6 win over the Baltimore Ravens and minus-1 yards in the first quarter in Pittsburgh.
"Just my job," Sanders said on what he can do to help that. "I don't think it has been bad. How many wins we got? It can't be that bad. So I don't think, I don't want to just come out here and just try to discredit what Deshaun done and everything he done. That don't make me feel good as a person. I think it's just doing my job, not doing too much, doing what I have to do."
There's an advantage that Sanders does get from the competition if he's called upon to start. It won't be the first time he's ever thrown to some of the Browns' young wide receivers.
Both KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston were routinely paired with Sanders during the various "two-spot" periods during the offseason and training camp. They also worked with him regularly during teams drills, especially on days when he was working with the No. 1 offense.
Which, guess what, is exactly what he's doing this week while Watson goes through concussion protocol.
"No, I would definitely say it was important," Sanders said. "It was valuable, just tapping back into that memory bank, having those reps and everything. That's why I'm thankful for this whole offseason and everything and just being out there with the guys each and every day, being able to still get some throws in with them. So I don't think we lost a step."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: How Shedeur Sanders is approaching potential to make start for Browns
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