The Cleveland Browns will host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, a meeting carrying important implications for both teams. Cleveland will be attempting a back-to-back win for the first time since December 2023, while San Francisco seeks its fourth victory in five games as it remains in a tight NFC West race.
Yet the primary focus surrounding the Browns this week is on quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who will make his home debut as the team’s starter. Sanders is coming off his first official NFL start, a win over the Las Vegas Raiders that has generated renewed optimism within the franchise and among fans.
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Sanders’ opening start in Week 12 produced several notable moments that helped shape Cleveland’s 24-10 win. He completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception, highlighted by three explosive plays that shifted the momentum of the game.
That included a 52-yard completion to wide receiver Isaiah Bond that led to the Browns’ first touchdown, a 39-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy that would have been a scoring play if not for a fumble, a short pass to running back Dylan Sampson that resulted in a 66-yard catch and run touchdown.
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Sanders’ performance drew the attention of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who spoke about it on the “New Heights” podcast.
Kelce commended Sanders, “Talk your s***, Shedeur. Let’s f*** go! The 45th starting quarterback for the Browns since 1994. The first Browns QB to win in his first official start since 1995. Cleveland has been waiting for this; we have been waiting for this.”
Travis and Jason Kelce are LOVING what they’ve seen from Shedeur Sanders as the Browns QB1. pic.twitter.com/JRC3IoWtHV
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) November 28, 2025
The Browns’ decision to start Sanders came after an eventful stretch for the quarterback room. Joe Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, and Dillon Gabriel, who made his debut before Sanders, suffered a concussion. Sanders first entered the field in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens when Gabriel was injured.
“Being a backup and everything, sometimes you have to compromise your personality and change the way you do things to never step on anybody’s toes,” Sanders said of his start on Sunday, via ESPN. “So, the fact that I got an opportunity, and I was able to show the organization, show everybody who I really am, then that was truly exciting.
“So, I was off-balance for a little bit the past couple months of my life, but it was different. But I’m thankful to be back.”
For his Week 12 game, PFSN’s QB Impact metric gives Sanders a 72.8 score with a C- grade.