Shedeur Sanders hasn’t thrown a pass in an NFL regular-season game yet, but the Cleveland Browns rookie is already making headlines both on and off the field.
The quarterback recently shared a moment of fan support on social media, underscoring both his growing profile and his determination to prove himself after sliding in the draft.
A female fan posted an Instagram story wearing Sanders‘ merchandise-an oversized shirt with his image and the bold message, “They forgot who I am.” Sanders reshared the post without a caption, letting the message speak for itself.
The nod comes as the 22-year-old adjusts to life in Cleveland. Once projected as a first-round pick, Sanders instead fell to No. 144 overall in April’s draft, where the Browns scooped him up in the fifth round.
Now he sits behind veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel on the quarterback depth chart, waiting for his opportunity.
Asante Samuel sees chance coming
Not everyone thinks Sanders will be waiting for long. Former New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel predicted on his Say What Needs to Be Said podcast that Cleveland could give Sanders the reins before the season’s end.
“I could see the Cleveland Browns giving Shedeur Sanders a chance by Week 8, Week 10, something like that, by my calculation,” Samuel said, according to Marca.
That timeline would mark a significant shift for a Browns team that has leaned on Flacco‘s experience to begin the season. In their Week 1 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Flacco threw for 290 yards, but the Browns came up just short in a 17-16 defeat.
Sanders did see action in preseason, showing flashes of the poise and arm strength that made him a star at Colorado under the guidance of his father, Deion Sanders.
But regular-season football brings a different level of intensity, and Cleveland has been deliberate in easing him into the league. For Sanders, the fan support is a reminder that even after the draft-day slide, expectations remain high.
Now, with the Browns, he faces the challenge of proving that his game can translate at the professional level, balancing patience with the desire to make an immediate impact for his team.
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