Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make his third start of the season in Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans. The rookie will face off against Titans counterpart Cam Ward in a matchup of first-year signal-callers. Despite a recent loss, coach Kevin Stefanski is giving Sanders an extended opportunity at the position.
The Cleveland Browns announced that rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will start against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, following a 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13. In that game, Sanders completed 16 of 25 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown, while adding a 6-yard rush. This marks his second career start, after a debut against the Las Vegas Raiders where he went 11 for 20, and a relief appearance versus the Baltimore Ravens with 4 completions out of 16 attempts.
Coach Kevin Stefanski praised Sanders' effort, saying, "He's battling like all of our guys are battling. I know there's plays he wants back, but we'll look at it and we'll correct it." Sanders reflected on the performance: "Obviously we lost, so I ain't play well. It's definitely things on film I'm gonna look back and want to get back and want to see, but at least moving forward I know what we could do differently going about the week and being able to get fully prepared for every possibility."
The Browns, sitting at 3-9, previously gave Dillon Gabriel six starts, where he secured one win before a concussion sidelined him. Sanders, a fifth-round draft pick after a notable slide, holds a 31-for-61 completion rate at 50.1 percent. His opponent, Titans No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, has completed 246 of 412 passes for 59.7 percent and 2,351 yards across 12 starts, with the 1-11 Titans coming off a 25-3 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Sanders added perspective on his journey: "In the midst of everything that's going on -- wins, losses, anything -- I remember when I wasn't playing. So I never forget that feeling. I try my best to not let that happen again, for me to be in that position." A win could improve Sanders to 2-1 as a starter, potentially solidifying his role.