Dan Orlovsky Makes Feelings Clear About Shedeur Sanders’ NFL Debut

Dan Orlovsky Makes Feelings Clear About Shedeur Sanders’ NFL Debut originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

On Friday, rookie fifth-round quarterback Shedeur Sanders saw his first NFL action, leading the Cleveland Browns to a 30-10 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers, and his performance caught the attention of ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky.

Sanders was solid, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 106.8 quarterback rating. He also showed off some athleticism, with 19 rushing yards on four carries.

With Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel all sitting out, it was a big moment for Sanders as he continues his quest to be the team's Week 1 starter on Sept. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Orlovsky Calls for Browns to Make Big Decision

Sanders' time on the field was enough for Orlovsky to call for the Cleveland coaching staff to give the 23-year-old more opportunities throughout training camp, specifically with the starting offense.

“If I were the Browns, he would be getting reps with the starters this week,” Orlovsky said. “I felt like going into the game, if he played a certain way, that would be the case. He should be getting reps with the starters this week.”

"He proved to me that he's absolutely demanding of more reps with the second and first teams."

—@danorlovsky7 on Shedeur Sanders pic.twitter.com/7dU3udcAZh

— First Take (@FirstTake) August 11, 2025

That would be a huge bump for Sanders, who, along with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel and the injured Deshaun Watson, are all listed as the third-string options on the Browns' depth chart.

Kevin Stefanski Discusses Sanders' First-Team Possibilities

Orlovsky's opinion may not be shared by the Browns' decision makers, though, because when head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about Sanders receiving first-team reps, he was noncommittal.

"We need to get through the next couple of days from an injury standpoint and see where everybody is," Stefanski said in a press conference. "I’m really focused on all of our quarterbacks’ development and every single one of these reps last night, how important they are. So that’s what I’m focused on more than anything."

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com also reports that Stefanski wasn’t ready to reveal if Sanders will start in the team's second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.