Shedeur Sanders stepped onto the NFL stage for the first time on Saturday, August 9, leading the Cleveland Browns against the Carolina Panthers in a preseason matchup that turned heads—including LeBron James’. The NBA legend took to X to applaud the rookie quarterback’s strong performance, making sure the moment got its flowers.
“That young [brown skin prince emoji] looking good out there! @ShedeurSanders Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high,” LeBron wrote. He followed up with, “And I don’t wanna hear that ‘It’s only preseason’ bs. Cause if he was out there not going in y’all would be on his a** about it! So give credit and grace lames.”
Sanders backed up the praise with the numbers. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards, while adding four carries for 19 rushing yards. He exited the game with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, with Cleveland up 21-7, and the Browns went on to secure a 30-10 win.
The debut comes after Sanders was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, a surprising drop for a player once projected as a top overall pick. Reflecting on his journey, Sanders shared, “We all didn’t expect this, of course, but I feel like with God, anything [is] possible, everything [is] possible. I don’t feel like this happened for no reason. All of this is, of course, fuel to the fire. Under no circumstances did we all know this was going to happen, but we understand we on to bigger and better things.”
LeBron was not the only star paying attention. Jamie Foxx posted a video from home showing himself tuned in to the game, adding, “He’s HIM,” with multiple flame emojis. Others who celebrated Sanders’ showing included Dawn Staley, Jackson State, Nike, and more, making it clear the young QB’s first NFL outing left a lasting impression.