Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders delivered a strong debut in the Cleveland Browns’ 24 to 10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but the reaction from head coach Kevin Stefanski has ignited a debate far louder than the game itself.
Despite Sanders finishing with over two hundred passing yards and a key touchdown, the locker room footage that surfaced after the game shows Stefanski offering only a short, lukewarm mention of his rookie. The coach moved quickly through his speech, praised the defense for most of the heavy lifting, and then slipped in a flat:
“Nice job, Shedeur.”
Nothing more. No emphasis. No acknowledgment that Sanders became the Browns’ first rookie QB in decades to win his debut.
Fans immediately seized on the clip. The most repeated reaction across social media was blunt: “He hates him, you can see it.”
Another fan said,
“Myles Garrett gets the game ball, fine, but you say two dead sentences about your rookie QB after a historic debut? That’s weird energy.”
Reporters noticed the difference too. In his postgame press conference, Stefanski again downplayed Sanders’ performance, offering generic coach-speak.
“He did some good things. He did some things we’ll clean up. We’ll go through the tape.”
Asked directly whether Sanders had earned another start, Stefanski avoided the question entirely.
“I’ll take my time and do what’s best for this football team.”
The reaction to that line escalated the online firestorm. Many argued the coach could have simply said “yes,” or even “we’ll see,” without sounding dismissive. Instead, the phrase was clipped, shared and analyzed repeatedly.
Former players and analysts chimed in as well. A retired AFC quarterback commented on a radio show,
“You don’t have to crown the kid, but you can at least show him some respect. That wasn’t respect.”
Another analyst suggested that Stefanski is intentionally cautious with praise, but admitted the optics “look bad when the rookie just won you the game.”
The Browns awarded the game ball to veteran defender Myles Garrett, who had three sacks and two forced fumbles. While no one disputed Garrett’s dominance, the decision added to the perception that Sanders was being minimized.
As of now, neither Stefanski nor Sanders has addressed the reaction publicly. The Browns have provided no statement. The team moves into the next week with Sanders’ starting status still unclear, and with the internet convinced the coach wants nothing to do with him.
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