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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Shedeur Sanders took his first official NFL snap as a starter Sunday and left Allegiant Stadium with a 24-10 victory.
He finished the game with 11 of 20 passing for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception, a mixed-but-encouraging stat line, and a franchise-wide debate finally moving from speculation into action.
Sanders earned the start after rookie Dillon Gabriel, once the Browns’ starting quarterback, entered concussion protocol — a move up the depth chart fans had been demanding for weeks.
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Those calls for Sanders to start had grown louder all season, with some outsiders suggesting the coaching staff had been slow to play him or even that Stefanski had been deliberately stunting his opportunities.
Stefanski publicly pushed back on any “sabotage” narrative after Sunday's game, saying "obviously I don't concern myself with outside types of things" and noting that he’s committed to Sanders’ development.
Now, Sanders has addressed those rumors.
"So you just want to start trouble, huh?" he replied to the question before adding that "what people do outside the building isn’t really in my control… Coach Stefanski has been coaching since I got here. He tells me what I need to do on and off the field. We’ve definitely grown. Our relationship and everything has grown, so I’m just thankful to be here.”
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Gabriel had struggled as the starter all year, completing just 59.2% of his passes for 937 yards, seven TDs, and two INTs across eight appearances.
Sanders had made a shaky NFL debut in relief against Baltimore (4-of-16 for 47 yards, one INT), and spent most of the NFL season sparking calls from fans and media to give him a chance sooner.
The mix of a struggling starter, a hyped rookie waiting in the wings, and intensifying scrutiny forced the team to confront a narrative that had been building for weeks.
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The Browns’ timeline for a franchise quarterback and Stefanski’s future are now linked to Sanders’ next handful of starts.
If Sanders can build on a performance that showed both playmaking and rookie inconsistencies, Cleveland can begin a clearer evaluation of whether he’s a long-term answer.
If not, the team may accelerate its search for alternatives in the offseason.
Looking ahead, Sanders draws a stiff Week 13 test at home against the San Francisco 49ers, followed by an easier home matchup versus the Tennessee Titans and then on the road in Chicago to face the Bears.
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