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After a rollercoaster ride -- from the pre-draft process to the draft slide to the preseason injuries and demotions to waiting behind several different quarterbacks -- Shedeur Sanders finally made his NFL debut. The former Colorado star entered an NFL regular-season game for the first time in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens after Cleveland Browns starter Dillon Gabriel was evaluated for a concussion. The team initially deemed Gabriel questionable to return, but he did not emerge from the locker room at halftime and was eventually ruled out.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game that Sunday was the first time Sanders took any reps with the first-team offense. That was abundantly clear as Sanders lacked connections with his receivers and completed just four of his 16 pass attempts for 47 yards. He also threw an interception.

The Browns held a 16-10 lead when they turned to Sanders but went scoreless with him under center and fell to their division rival in a 23-16 defeat.

"I don't think I played good at all," Sanders said after his debut. "I think it's a lot of things we need to look at during the week and go and just get comfortable even throwing routes with Jerry (Jeudy) and throwing routes with all those guys. I think that was my first ball to him all year. But other than that, I just think overall we just gotta go next week and understand so then we have a week to prepare stuff I like to do."

Sanders received a hero's welcome in Cleveland and immediately completed his first pass attempt, a 5-yard toss to Cedric Tillman. He also completed his second pass, a 7-yarder to David Njoku, but it was mostly downhill from there. Sanders took a sack and fumbled (though a teammate recovered the loose ball) on third down.

Sanders' interception came on his second drive.

"It was a rough day overall," Sanders said. "But the thing I was excited about is just being able to get out there. It's the first time I got hit since my last game at Colorado. Just having that feeling back was good."

The Browns opened the season with Joe Flacco as their starter but traded him to the Bengals. Gabriel had started ever since. Cleveland could be onto its third starter of the year in Week 12 as Sanders lines up to take the first-team reps if Gabriel, a fellow rookie, does not clear concussion protocol in time to suit up against the Las Vegas Raiders.

"I know I'm made for it," Sanders said. "I don't think there's a doubt in my mind that final drive was gonna go down there and score. Things happened, and we didn't. But I was just excited because I knew what I was going to be able to do out there."

A record-setting quarterback at Colorado, Sanders slipped all the way to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, where Cleveland selected him 144th overall. He was the sixth quarterback selected and the second selected by his own team; the Browns took Gabriel in the third round (94th overall).