Shedeur Sanders made his NFL debut Sunday and it did not go well. The Cleveland Browns quarterback struggled against the Baltimore Ravens and drew even more headlines when head coach Kevin Stefanski said it was the first time Sanders ever took reps with the first-team offense.
Even though he's not involved in the slightest, LA Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has become part of the conversation. Herbert was infamously forced to start on 15-minute notice after a team doctor accidentally punctured Tyrod Taylor's lung during an injection. Herbert had a much more successful debut.
Stefanski's admission that Sanders hasn't taken any first-team reps truly seemed baffling at the time. However, that appears to be standard protocol for rookie backup QBs. At least, that is what Herbert also went through before his successful debut in 2020. Just ask his former teammate, Breiden Fehoko, who spent time with both the LA Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
True Story. Our rookie year 2020 top 6 pick Justin Herbert from day 1 was the back up QB behind Tyrod Taylor. Justin didn’t get no first team reps all camp or practice. He was the scout team QB for two weeks. Lol week 2 rolls around vs the Chiefs and Tyrod Taylor punctures a lung… pic.twitter.com/INMeLAMxC8
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) November 17, 2025
Justin Herbert unintentionally pours salt into Shedeur Sanders' wounds
Using Sanders' lack of first-team reps in practice as an excuse doesn't seem to fly. Herbert (and many backup rookies before him) went through the same process and had far more success than Sanders did on Sunday.
That being said, Herbert was on a completely different level as a rookie than Sanders. Herbert was the sixth-overall pick in a loaded quarterback draft class. Sanders was a fourth-round pick who fell further than anyone could have expected.
Expecting Sanders to have the same early success as Herbert is silly. Sure, he has his believers who are fans of him and his father, Deion Sanders, but the NFL already told the world how it views Sanders. It views him as a fourth-round pick who was essentially a third-string quarterback to start the year. And he played like that on Sunday.
Sanders completed four of 16 passes for 47 yards with an interception. His accuracy left plenty to be desired. His pocket presence was an issue. All the concerns that arose from Sanders' preseason play came back in full form against the Ravens.
Does this mean Sanders is guaranteed to be a bust? Not at all. There are many examples of quarterbacks reclaiming their careers after being written off by the general consensus. Sometimes all a quarterback needs is the right situation with the right head coach.
However, Sanders' disastrous debut takes him firmly out of the "he definitely has it" club. Sometimes you know right away when a quarterback is going to be elite. It happened with Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and now, Drake Maye.
Sanders didn't pass the same eye test. That's not to say he can't ever achieve a higher ceiling, but he will have to work for it and thoroughly prove it to the masses.
One thing is for certain, though: he's no Justin Herbert.