Shedeur Sanders’ rookie season in the NFL has been a significant battle. He had to work his way up the ladder after initial disappointments. According to Sports Illustrated, instead of being the first round draft pick, he was expected to be – Sanders landed with the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. Sanders was the No. 4 quarterback on the Browns’ depth chart and eventually worked his way up.
He has been facing huge criticism owing to his rookie season in the league. He could only manage 1400 yards, with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions during his first season with the Browns. Owing to his performance, experts even questioned the NFL’s standards when he was selected for the Pro Bowl in the postseason.
While his Pro Bowl selection was less than ideal, owing to the AFC quarterbacks being unable to play the Pro Bowl, his performance during the same was more than satisfactory. Sanders was able to perform well with two touchdowns and two two-point conversions. He had two interceptions, but it was because of the NFC defense playing at a whole new level. Even Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was intercepted once during the game.
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Sanders May Not Started Well But It’s Not Like He Hasn’t Faced This Situation Before
Sanders himself was surprised with the call to the Pro Bowl, “It wasn’t like I was just sitting there expecting it.” He would expect his Pro Bowl appearance to become the first step towards reshaping his early narrative. Ahead of his Pro Bowl game, Sanders revealed his mentality coming out of the 2025 season.
I think overall, it helped me get to myself quicker. I think I’m almost there. I think I’m almost back to myself fully, emotionally, mentally, and physically. I’m just excited to be around the game, be around these great players, and that I was able to be selected to be here.
His Pro Bowl game only solidified his claims. For Sanders, this situation is similar to the one he faced before he was drafted into the NFL. In his first season with the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders managed a 69.3 completion percentage with 27 touchdowns.
Within a year, he was able to take a huge lead forward, leading the team to a 9-4 record, with a 7-2 record against the Big 12 opponents. Sanders also increased his completion percentage to 74 while managing 37 touchdowns and 4134 passing yards.
Published: Feb 5, 2026 06:00 am