Browns QB Shedeur Sanders’ Interview After First NFL Game Was Powerful

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders’ Interview After First NFL Game Was Powerful originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders had an impressive showing in their preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Friday.

Sanders, who got the starting nod amid injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, made the most of his opportunity and led Cleveland to a 30-10 win. He finished with 138 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-23 pass completion.

The 23-year-old quarterback also rushed four times for 19 yards before he was taken off the field in the middle of the third quarter.

What Shedeur Sanders Said in His Postgame Interview

Despite his incredible performance, Sanders was not fully satisfied with the way he played. While he's happy the Browns got the win, he emphasized that "there's definitely room for improvement in many areas overall."

Sanders explained that there were plenty of adjustments he needed to make, particularly the fact that he no longer has his dad, Deion Sanders, as his coach. Not to mention that it's his first game in the pros—even if he's playing with and against mostly second- and third-string players.

"Just consistency and getting in my groove. When you don't play for so long, and you get back out there, you gotta find your rhythm, you gotta find your groove. It's the first time for everything," Sanders shared in his postgame interview.

"It's the first time not even having Pops as the coach where he knows me, you know what I mean? So, it's definitely changing, it's definitely different. So, it's just adapting to it. But the way how everybody was today, and the coaches, I'm just thankful for the opportunity, and the guys out there playing."

When asked how he would grade his performance, Sanders didn't hesitate saying it's a C+. According to him, he gave it just a passing grade because he felt like he let down his dad.

"I would say, I would say a C+," Sanders added before explaining, "It's passing, it's passing because we got the win. You know, that's first and foremost, and that's extremely important."

Sanders further stated: "I feel like I got to my decisions, and there's some things I could have done better, and different process where I could speed my feet up.  So, I'm just thankful for the opportunity. I'm happy we won, but it's definitely still time to go to work."

“It’s time to go to work,” - Shedeur Sanders with a message after his impressive debut pic.twitter.com/GaggSyFnvS

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 9, 2025

Sanders Proves He Belongs—But What Does It Mean for Him?

Sanders certainly couldn't have said it any better. After all, it's still just a preseason game, and if he wants to earn more opportunities as a quarterback in the NFL, he needs to keep improving his game.

At the end of the day, Sanders remains the Browns' fourth-string QB. When Pickett and Gabriel return, the former Colorado Buffaloes star will have to show that he's better than the two. There's also Joe Flacco, who is projected to be Cleveland's starting QB at the start of the season.

Sure enough, Sanders did well against the Panthers and showed the Browns that he's more than capable of leading the team. That should go a long way in his bid to earn a more prominent role.

For now, though, Sanders will have to show more consistency when the next opportunity arises.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski did say he was pleased with the way Sanders played, but he also pointed out that it's "not perfect" and there's "plenty that we can work on," per ESPN.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.