Deion Sanders is confident his son, Shedeur, will put on a show in his NFL debut with the Cleveland Browns on Friday night against the Carolina Panthers.
Shedeur will start the preseason opener, with quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco all sidelined. Gabriel and Pickett are dealing with injuries, while the Browns are electing to rest the 40-year-old Flacco ahead of his 18th NFL season.
The matchup provides Shedeur with his best opportunity yet to move up the depth chart, and his father — who coached him at Jackson State and Colorado — believes he’ll make it count.
“I just can’t wait to see him get down tonight,” Deion Sanders said. “But it’s going to be a little weird, a little strange. He’s gonna be a problem after tonight though, I promise you that.”
The Browns have said it’s an open competition. However, Sanders has received no reps with the No. 1 offense. The Browns will rest many of their starters — including top targets like wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, tight end David Njoku — against the Panthers.
Deion Sanders: Shedeur is Prepared for Browns Debut
Deion Sanders acknowledged that seeing his son walk onto the field without him will be a “weird” experience. However, he knows Shedeur is ready to roll and is embracing the opportunity.
“We’ve already spoken like three times today. We just got off the phone, joking and clowning like crazy. It’s going to be strange for both of us,” Deion Sanders said. “Him taking that walk and knowing I’m not there. That’s different for him. But he’s so prepared right now. A lot of people are approaching it like a preseason game. He’s approaching it like a game. And that’s how he’s approached everything — to prepare. He’s thankful and appreciative of the opportunity. He doesn’t get caught up in all the rhetoric in the media.”
Shedeur Sanders has been in the spotlight for most of his life. He’s confident that he’ll rise to the occasion with some high-profile preseason reps.
“I know I lack experience on this realm and on this level, but one thing I can hang my hat on is in all pressure situations, you know who I am,” Sanders said this week during training camp. “I’m excited. Whenever it is my time to get out there, I’ll be able to be myself.”
Shedeur Sanders Making Right Impression With Browns
There’s a lot of speculation about how Sanders will look against NFL competition. He slid from a projected early first-round pick to the fifth round. The Browns scooped him up with pick No. 144.
There will be plenty of eyes on Friday’s preseason matchup, but the most important ones are inside the building. And he’s already earning their respect with his work ethic.
“He’s funny, he’s optimistic, he’s light-hearted, but he works hard,” Browns star Myles Garrett said. “He takes it seriously, his craft and he’s watching what the others are doing and doing it his own way, which only he can. So looking forward to see him in these preseason games and how he manages the offense. He looks good, but all the guys look good right now.”
The Browns are a six-point underdog for the preseason matchup, per ESPN BET.
