Shedeur Sanders received support from NFL peers after a difficult debut on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens on November 16, where he entered in the second half following Dillon Gabriel‘s concussion.
Sanders struggled in his first action, completing four of 16 passes for 47 yards with one interception and taking two sacks.
But despite the poor showing, former NFL quarterback Luke McCown offered insight into the challenges faced by rookie backups.
“The only time mid-round pick rookies and backups get meaningful reps is in training camp,” McCown explained on X.com, formerly Twitter. “And they are never with the ones unless you are competing or starting that next preseason game.
“Regular season practices have 10-12 plays per period, but for the most part, that’s 30-40 live full-speed reps of the actual game plan practiced on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the NFL. These all go to the starting QB.”
McCown emphasized that Sanders‘ situation was typical for rookie backups as the debutant had limited preparation with the starting offense, which contributed heavily to his struggles.
Lack of reps and in-game familiarity meant he entered the contest unprepared to execute plays at full speed effectively with an offense he has never played with before, despite being picked in the NFL Draft in April.
He entered with the Browns leading 16-10 and played the entire second half. He completed just four passes for 47 yards, threw one interception, and was sacked twice. Only one of his completions traveled more than 20 yards through the air.
Three of Sanders‘ four completions came within five yards of the line of scrimmage. He went 1-for-5 on throws traveling more than ten yards, including the interception. His six drives yielded just 44 total yards for the team, with four punts and one turnover on downs.
The stark contrast with Gabriel‘s first-half performance, in which the Browns scored 16 points and gained nearly 150 yards, highlighted how unprepared Sanders was and underscored the difficulty backup quarterbacks face in these situations.
McCown expands on why Shedeur Sanders struggled for Cleveland Browns
McCown, who played for the Browns in 2004 as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys among others, is a tried-and-tested back-up who made 62 appearances over 13 years before retiring.
Making just 356 passing attempts for nine touchdowns and 15 interceptions, the 44-year-old went on to detail the limitations for backups during NFL practice such as Shedeur, the of Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.
“These team periods alternate between offense and defense with backups and practice squad players,” McCown added. “And some players serving as scout team ‘look’ squads for those periods.
“[The expectation is] you must come in and perform at the same level as the guy you replaced for your teammates, coaches and your own career security.
“You come in and struggle, and you’re evaluated on that performance, right or wrong.”
Backups face unfair expectations due to limited practice repetitions and lack of familiarity with game-specific plays. Sanders‘ struggles are consistent with historical challenges for rookies thrust into high-pressure situations unexpectedly.
If Gabriel is unable to play next week, Sanders is expected to start against the Las Vegas Raiders. A full week of practice and preparation will give him the opportunity to build chemistry with the starting offense and demonstrate improvement.
While Sanders‘ first NFL appearance was difficult, the support from experienced players like McCown and the opportunity for additional reps suggest he can adjust and potentially become a capable starting quarterback for the Browns.
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