In a thrilling preseason showdown between the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders found himself unexpectedly benched with just over two minutes remaining. With the Browns trailing 17-16, head coach Kevin Stefanski opted to replace Sanders with Tyler Huntley, a new addition to the team. Sanders believed he was about to command a crucial drive for victory, but instead, he watched from the sidelines as Huntley brought the Browns to a game-winning field goal, earning a 19-17 win.

Following the game, Sanders expressed his surprise at being pulled, stating:

**“I didn’t know I was out. Yeah, I didn’t know. I was powering up for that two-minute drive because that’s just a situation every quarterback dreams of.”

After being informed of his benching, Sanders approached Stefanski to request he be allowed to remain in the game. He remarked,

“Yeah, I definitely did.” Sanders had anticipated stepping back onto the field and even asked a teammate to fetch his helmet. Throughout his limited play in the second half, Sanders completed 3 out of 6 passes for 14 yards and was sacked five times, which may have influenced Stefanski’s decision.

Coach Stefanski explained his reasoning, admitting the team’s offensive struggles and emphasizing the decision didn’t rest solely on one player:

“Obviously we didn’t play great as an offense in the second half. That’s never on one person, so we can be better in a bunch of areas and just felt like we wanted to give [Huntley] a last drive.”