This past weekend, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders made history in his NFL debut game. The average audience for the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers preseason game was 2.2 million viewers, as reported by Yahoo Sports and NFL Network.
The outlets added that the 2.2 million viewers for Sanders’ debut made it the most-watched preseason game in a decade on NFL Network.
Sanders completed 14 of 23 passes, threw for 138 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in his debut. The former Colorado Buffaloes star also rushed for 19 yards, it was reported.
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It remains unknown whether those viewers were his fans or critics; still, analysts say he is the most intriguing player in the league right now.
He might not play this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an oblique strain in practice. He is, however, expected to play in the Browns’ final preseason game against the LA Rams on August 23.
In April, while he was waiting to be selected in the NFL draft, Sanders, the son of Colorado coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, received a call, allegedly from the general manager of the New Orleans Saints. Sanders was once one of the league’s most-touted draft prospects. However, it turned out that the call was a prank. The scam was captured on camera and posted by Well Off Media, a production business run by Shedeur’s brother Deion Sanders Jr.
The caller, identified as Jax Ulbrich, pretended to be Mickey Loomis, the general manager of the Saints, and he told Sanders, “We’re going to take you with our next pick right here.”
The 23-year-old was joined by happy family members and friends for the much-anticipated moment.
“But you’re going to have to wait a little longer, man. Sorry about that,” Ulbrich added before hanging up.
Sanders only managed to say the words, “What does that mean?”
To make matters more complicated, the private number used exclusively for the draft was meant to be accessible only to NFL personnel. After almost twenty-four hours, however, Sanders was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round.
