The NFL got its first look at Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders on Friday night. In the team's preseason opener on the road against the Carolina Panthers, Sanders received the start due to injuries being nursed by Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.

On Friday night Shedeur—Deion Sanders’s much-scrutinized scion, who plunged into the fifth round at this year’s NFL draft—got a surprise start in Cleveland’s preseason debut against Carolina.

Cleveland's coaching staff faces mounting fan pressure to promote Sanders while navigating the reality that developmental opportunities become increasingly scarce as Week 1 approaches