Shedeur Sanders stunned the NFL on Friday night when he threw two touchdown passes for the Cleveland Browns to begin his professional career in style.
All eyes were on Carolina as the fourth-choice quarterback – drafted 144th overall – made a brilliant first impression in his team’s 30-10 win over the Panthers, completing 14 of his 23 pass attempts for 138 yards.
Fans, celebrities and league executives alike watched on in shock as Sanders dominated the game and lived up to the hype that has surrounded him, despite his slide down the draft boards at the end of April.
In fact, Nike even released an advert on social media in the immediate aftermath of his first touchdown, alongside the caption: ‘When you get your opportunity, create your next one.’
In the image, Sanders can be seen pulling his now-traditional watch celebration, and the advert reads: ‘Only a matter of Time.’
Actor and singer Jamie Foxx was among the most vocal supporters of Sanders on Friday night as he posted a series of videos hyping up the young quarterback.
Nike immediately released a Shedeur Sanders advert after he scored his first NFL touchdown
Sanders completed 14 of his 23 pass attempts for 138 yards in an impressive Browns debut
‘If you hate Shedeur Sanders, you hate football,’ he could be heard saying in one clip, adding: ‘He the real deal!’
Alongside the post, he wrote: ‘Proud father moment!!! so happy for Shedeur Sanders [and] Deion Sanders. No better feeling [than] the feeling of validation. Hard work pays off!’
Social media reaction was also led by his father, Colorado head coach and Hall-of-Famer Deion Sanders, who posted: ‘Yes Lawd! Yes!’
NBA icon LeBron James also praised Shedeur: ‘That young [king emoji] looking good out there! @ShedeurSanders Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high.’
James followed that up, saying, ‘And I don’t wanna hear that “It’s only preseason” bs. Cause if he was out there not going in y’all would be on his ass about it! So give credit and grace lames.’
As of 8am EST on Saturday morning, James’ latter post had racked up close to 4m views as NFL fans went wild for the young prodigy’s debut.
Fans were also left stunned by Sanders balling out on his debut in the NFL, with one even calling it ‘history-making’, and another claiming he has already ‘proven his doubters wrong’.
Reports have since claimed that despite his impressive performance, he is still likely to be fourth-choice QB for the Browns behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.
Sanders looked delighted after the game and he set the internet ablaze with his ability
Rapper and actor Jamie Foxx was among the most vocal fans of Sanders during the game
It is understood he won’t get first-team reps this week when the Browns have a joint practice with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Dan Labbe, Scott Patsko and Ashley Bastock note: ‘The upcoming joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles could prove pivotal for Sanders’ trajectory.
‘While it’s unlikely he’ll receive significant first-team reps against the defending Super Bowl champions, continued strong performances could accelerate his timeline.
‘For now, Sanders has done exactly what a developmental quarterback should: he’s taken advantage of every opportunity given to him. The question is no longer if he’ll move up the depth chart, but when.’
