Shedeur Sanders entered the NFL with a built-in audience, and it definitely showed up for his first game action on an NFL field.
The Cleveland Browns’ preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, in which Sanders made a successful debut, drew an average of 2.237 million viewers Friday. Per the NFL, that was enough to make it NFL Network’s most-watched preseason game since 2015.
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The league also noted it was NFL Network’s most-watched first week of preseason ever.
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Sanders might have been only a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he might be the most-followed player in his entire rookie class after four years of playing under his father Deion in college at Jackson State and Colorado. He also landed in a crowded Browns quarterback room, where Sanders and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel are on the depth chart behind veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
With the Browns holding Flacco out of the preseason opener, injuries to Pickett and Gabriel opened the door for Sanders to get the start last week. He made the most of it, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards, 2 touchdowns, no interceptions and a 113.9 passer rating.
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The performance drew significant attention on social media, including from NBA star LeBron James. However, Sanders will have to wait a while for his follow-up, as he is unlikely to play this weekend due to an oblique injury suffered in practice
The preseason could decide where Sanders ends up on the depth chart, so any further time missed represents lost opportunities for him. Judging from the ratings, the people airing Browns preseason games would also probably like to have him back soon.
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