© Ken Blaze/Imagn
As things currently stand, it’s abundantly clear that Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is not ready to play in the NFL.
We saw as much at times in the preseason, and that fact was reinforced on Sunday when Sanders was forced to step in for a concussed Dillon Gabriel in a 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders completed just 4-of-16 pass attempts for 47 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Meanwhile, Gabriel had been 7-of-10 for 68 yards before getting injured. Sanders also fumbled during the game, although the Browns recovered.
Ex-NFL Insider Josina Anderson Fervently Defends Shedeur Sanders
Somehow, the tape on Sanders was even worse than the box score. He didn’t just miss throws. He missed them by miles, and he showed a complete inability to hang in an NFL pocket.
But that’s not the way that Josina Anderson, a former NFL insider for ESPN and CBS, saw things. Anderson regularly posted clips from the game on social media that either absolved Sanders of any fault for his own poor play, blamed head coach Kevin Stefanski, or just flat-out ignored reality.
Here was the against-all-odds 3/10 completion by Shedeur Sanders under 2 min. #Browns pic.twitter.com/fFBRusa8Em
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) November 17, 2025
Let’s be clear: This is not an intentional Shedeur Sanders “debut” coached-up with any 1st-team reps all season from Kevin Stefanski.
Sanders is playing by default only, due to a Dillon Gabriel concussion! https://t.co/e6kLuUZYid
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) November 17, 2025
It’s not the first time Anderson has gone to bat for Sanders, either. Prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, she attacked an anonymous quarterback coach who wasn’t impressed with the prospect’s interview with his team.
“I am disappointed to hear that a quarterbacks coach from a team drafting in the top 7 referred to Shedeur Sanders as coming off “brash” and “arrogant” in his team interview and making his assessment known to a number of people, per source. – Via Josina Anderson
There are certainly situations where Sanders has received more scrutiny than others due to his famous father and his attitude. But the tape also doesn’t lie. Sanders is nowhere near ready to be an NFL quarterback.
And if you think an NFL coach would rather lose (and likely lose his job) than play a quarterback who he believed was actually good, then you’ve reached a level of delusion that can’t be fixed.