Shedeur Sanders was finally called upon to start for the Browns last week, and nobody was happier about it than his father, Deion.
Despite some questions as to whether the elder Sanders would be able to make it to Las Vegas to watch his son’s debut, Deion was indeed in the stands for Sunday’s matchup between the Browns and Raiders. Shedeur was forced into the starting job after the incumbent Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion in Week 11. Deion was watching at Allegiant Stadium as Shedeur earned his first win as starter while playing passably well for a rookie; Sanders threw for 209 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Cleveland beat Las Vegas, 24-10.
He didn’t set the world on fire but Sanders played well enough to secure the win and that’s all that really matters in the NFL. To that point, on Monday, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski announced Sanders earned the starting nod again for Week 13. Gabriel is out of concussion protocol but will remain the backup, and Sanders has officially earned his shot at winning the top spot on the depth chart permanently, beginning with the team’s next game against the 49ers.
Shortly before the news broke Deion appeared to react to his son’s accomplishment with a grateful message posted to social media.
“JESUS JESUS JESUS! Thank u Thank u Thank u. Regardless of how it looks I know what it is. #CoachPrime #DAD,” Sanders tweeted from his X account.
Regardless of how it goes from here, Sanders earning this opportunity is a huge accomplishment. Getting to the NFL is hard enough. Getting an opportunity to start is even more difficult. Getting that opportunity at quarterback, the most coveted spot position in sports? Deion’s gratitude to see the moment is deserved.
Now comes the hardest part—keeping the gig. With Gabriel looming on the depth chart Sanders won’t have much room for error. He will face a significantly tougher opponent than the Raiders in his next matchup; San Francisco is 7-4 entering Monday night and has its sights set on the postseason. How the young Sanders fares against a playoff-caliber defense will be a lot more informative than the Raiders’ leaky unit.
A big week for the Sanders family.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Deion Sanders’s Grateful Message After Son Shedeur Was Named Starter for Next Browns Game.
