With a little over 120 seconds remaining in the Browns versus Rams preseason matchup on Saturday, Shedeur Sanders anticipated the chance to spearhead a potential winning series, but unexpectedly, he was directed to the sidelines.
With Cleveland down by a single point, 17-16, and just 2:03 showing on the game clock, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski opted to replace his rookie quarterback with Tyler Huntley, a recent acquisition to the team within the past three weeks.
Had Sanders remained in the game, he would have been presented with a golden opportunity to orchestrate a possible game-clinching drive in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. However, he was relegated to watching as Huntley guided the Browns to a game-winning field goal, securing a 19-17 victory for Cleveland. Sanders voiced his surprise post-game upon learning of his substitution.
“I wasn’t aware that I was being taken out,” Sanders stated following the game. “No, I wasn’t informed. I was on the exercise bike, getting ready. I was gearing up for that two-minute situation because it’s a scenario every quarterback envisions. I’ve encountered similar situations before, and I assumed I was in, but then I was told I wasn’t, and I accepted it.”
Following the notification of his substitution, Sanders approached Stefanski, requesting to remain in the game.
“Yes, I certainly did,” Sanders confirmed regarding his plea to continue playing.
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Sanders was so confident in his return to the game that he even requested a teammate to retrieve his helmet, as evidenced in the closing moments of the footage below.
Upon being benched, Sanders expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision, making no effort to conceal his emotions on the sidelines.
Post-game, Sanders was questioned about any regrets he had regarding the display of his emotions.
“Absolutely not, within the intensity of competition, that’s what you aspire to,” Sanders responded, according to Cleveland.com. “In the heat of battle, you aim to be the dominant figure. You desire to be the alpha. You want to be on the field during that final two-minute drive. So naturally, minor occurrences can lead to frustration, but that’s inherent when you strive to be a player capable of transforming a franchise.”
During his time on the field in the second half, Sanders completed only 3 of 6 passes for 14 yards. He also endured five sacks, resulting in a loss of 41 yards. Sanders’ struggles may have influenced Stefanski’s decision to remove him from the game.
After the victory, Stefanski was asked the reasoning behind not allowing Sanders to execute the two-minute drill.
“Evidently, our offensive performance in the second half was subpar,” Stefanski stated in response to the benching. “That’s never attributable to a single individual, so we have room for improvement across the board, and we simply felt the need to provide [Huntley] with a final drive.”
The Browns’ coach was also inquired about his perspective on Sanders’ emotional reaction and his request to remain in the game.
“He’s a fiercely competitive individual,” Stefanski remarked. “The intention was to proceed with [Huntley] at that juncture, but I wouldn’t read too much into it beyond that.”
Although Huntley led the Browns to a game-winning drive, the Rams inadvertently assisted. Los Angeles incurred three penalties totaling 25 yards during the 46-yard drive that culminated in a 37-yard game-winning field goal by Andre Szmyt.
As for Sanders, he was among the four Browns quarterbacks who saw action on Saturday, and we have analyzed their performances in detail here.
