When Shedeur Sanders finally stepped onto the preseason stage, he didn’t just show up—he made sure everyone remembered his name. The first few snaps? A bit wobbly. But once he locked in, it was fireworks. Two absolute darts to Kaden Davis before halftime turned a slow start into a statement.
And here’s the thing—Sanders’ night wasn’t just about those highlight-reel throws. He finished the half going 11-of-18 for 103 yards, tacking on 19 rushing yards, and most importantly, zero turnovers. For a fifth-round pick buried fourth on the depth chart, that’s squeaky clean. The touchdowns might’ve stolen the spotlight, but the real gem was in the details. He stayed cool when the O-line shuffled mid-game, kept his reads sharp, and never let rookie jitters creep in.
Better yet, Sanders showed he could lead when it mattered most. Both of his scoring drives came right after the Browns’ defense slipped up, but instead of crumbling under the pressure, he punched back—fast. Rolling out, hitting tight windows, and adjusting tempo like he’d been here for years. Yet, once the dust settled, the rookie had something to get off his chest. Right after the game, he sent an apology to Dad, Deion Sanders.
“Sorry pops, I ain’t do what I was supposed to do fully,” Shedeur Sanders admitted after his first preseason start. Then he doubled down, saying, “I feel like today I did some good some bad and I know moving forward I won’t make the same mistakes twice.” And pops? He was beaming. “Yes Lawd! Yes!” Deion tweeted after that first touchdown, following up with, “God is so good,” after the second. A proud father, soaking in the moment.
Shedeur Sanders had a message for his dad, Deion, after his first start in preseason pic.twitter.com/5rDxkGBcyk
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 9, 2025
But Deion wasn’t the only one watching. WNBA powerhouse South Carolina Gamecocks’ head coach Dawn Staley jumped in with, “Super happy for @ShedeurSanders! You can try to break a young fella’s spirit but you can’t touch his talent! Do the damn thing Shedeur!!!” And then came NBA royalty—LeBron James himself. “That young looking good out there! @ShedeurSanders Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high ,” he wrote.
So, for the Sanders family, this wasn’t just a debut—it was a night that put the whole sports world on notice.
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