Shedeur Sanders to Start 1st NFL Game Against Raiders in Week 12

Former Colorado quarterback, son of former NFL player and current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, and selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to be the fourth-string quarterback (and second rookie selected) for the Cleveland Browns: Shedeur Sanders had a muddy path to becoming an NFL starting quarterback.

But with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett traded, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel (out of Oregon) both injured and ineffective, Sanders finds his name called just twelve weeks in to his NFL career.

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders will start Sunday vs. Raiders. pic.twitter.com/hXtnoHtRfI
— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2025

Sanders was 4-for-16 passing for 47 yards, with an interception thrown and two sacks taken, in relief of Gabriel in a Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns also held the lead when Sanders came in to the game, but his complete lack of effectiveness stalled Cleveland’s offense.

Shedeur Sanders' regular-season debut:

4/16
47 passing yards
0 TDs, 1 INT
13.5 passer rating
2 sacks taken pic.twitter.com/lWvLuhT9X0
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) November 17, 2025

Now, Sanders has a week to prepare to be the starter and lead the 2-8 Browns in to Las Vegas to face the 2-8 Raiders. In theory, the Raiders are a beatable opponent, so Sanders could walk out with a feel-good win in his first career start. On the other hand, if Sanders only completes 25% of his passes again, over the course of a full game, it’s unlikely he beats any of the league’s teams. Las Vegas is bad, but if the Browns can’t pick up a first down, Geno Smith and the Raiders are competent enough to put some points on the board if Cleveland can’t.

Sanders doesn’t have to win this game to get respect around the league, but he has to play and look like an NFL quarterback to keep his spot in the league moving forward. Fair or not, Sanders fell in the 2025 NFL Draft, and could quickly fall off every NFL team’s radar if he continues to complete less than 50% of his passes.

How will Sanders perform against the Raiders in Week 12? It’s really anyone’s guess. I would like to think it will be a better performance than the quarterback put up in Week 11, but literally anything is possible. Ideally, Sanders will settle down and make some NFL-level throws (not just check-downs and horizontal throws) and quiet some doubters. A win would certainly be icing on the cake, but Sanders needs at least a couple touchdown drives to at least earn a shot at closing out the season as the Browns’ starting quarterback.

If disaster strikes, we’re talking under 33% completion percentage, nothing past the sticks, and little to no first downs to speak of, no touchdown passes and a couple interceptions, and Sanders could quickly see the bench again moving forward.

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