Shedeur Sanders' Browns Debut Draws 2.2M Viewers, Nearly Sets NFL Network Record

All eyes were on Shedeur Sanders as he made his NFL preseason debut with the Cleveland Browns.

According to Nielsen, 2.237 million viewers watched Sanders and the Browns as they secured a 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Friday (h/t CBS Sports' John Breech).

The rookie signal-caller's debut and the Minnesota Vikings' 20-10 victory over the Houston Texans represented NFL Network’s two most-watched preseason contests since 2015.

Sanders started for Cleveland and played into the third quarter before he was eventually replaced by Tyler Huntley. The first-year passer finished 14-of-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns without tossing an interception.

He also rushed for 19 yards on four attempts.

It was an impressive performance from Sanders, who fell to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft before the Browns traded up to select him with the No. 144 overall pick.

He's in the midst of a quarterback competition with veteran Joe Flacco, former first-round draft choice Kenny Pickett and fellow incoming rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Pickett and Gabriel didn't play against Carolina due to hamstring issues, while Flacco was also held out.

Despite Sanders' strong debut, he was still listed at No. 4 on Cleveland's unofficial depth chart heading into the team's second preseason matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

He may not suit up in the game at all, though.

Sanders suffered an oblique strain in practice on Wednesday and is considered "unlikely" to play against the Eagles, per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi.

If he doesn't appear in the game, his final preseason opportunity will occur in an upcoming clash with the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23.