Shedeur Sanders made his first NFL start as the Cleveland Browns‘ quarterback on Sunday. While the stat line may have been pedestrian by most measures, his very insertion into the starting lineup is giving fans in Cleveland some hope.
Sanders completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, while leading his team to a 24-10 road victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Browns, bringing their record to 3-8 on the year.
But this is a lot more than numbers. It’s about the ultimate bottom line. It’s about winning. And President Trump believes he knows a winner when he sees one.
“Shedeur Sanders was GREAT,” he wrote on his Truth Social media platform. “Wins first game, career start, as a pro (for Cleveland). Great Genes. I TOLD YOU SO!”
Shedeur Sanders’ great genes
Wait just a minute. I thought the term “great genes” was an overt example of “white supremacy” … or something. Anyway, President Trump deserves to gloat on this one.
Shedeur unexpectedly fell to the fifth round of the draft despite being considered a top quarterback prospect. The Cleveland Browns drafted him with the 144th pick, a shocking slide by any measure, given that many mock drafts had him going number 2 overall.
Trump criticized NFL owners for not drafting Shedeur earlier, praised his athletic pedigree (his Dad, Deion, is a Hall of Famer), and urged teams to pick him immediately.
“What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID?” the President wrote. “Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart!”
“Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness,” Trump added. “He should be ‘picked’ IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck, Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!”
That was after Sanders fell out of the first round. He would watch four whole rounds come and go before the Browns finally selected him.
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Historic – By Browns standards
From the Browns’ perspective, Shedeur Sanders accomplished something historic by becoming the first quarterback to win his debut start for the franchise since Eric Zeier in 1995.
Yesterday’s win ended a 1-17 skid for first-time NFL starters in Cleveland dating back to the team’s 1999 return. That is utterly remarkable.
While the victory had more to do with the Browns’ defense shutting down the Raiders’ inept offense, including three sacks from six-time Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett, for a team total of 10 sacks, you have to give credit where it’s due.
Multiple NFL legends have attributed Sanders’ cockiness to his brutal fall in the draft. That’s all in the past now. It only matters what he does moving forward.
Sanders managed the game well and did only what he was asked to do. You know, like a winner. Shedeur will get a more challenging test next weekend against the San Francisco 49ers (7-4).