Nick Suss, Nashville TennesseanMon, November 24, 2025 at 8:07 PM UTC·2 min readCleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski named rookie Shedeur Sanders his starting quarterback for Week 13, setting the stage for a potential battle between Sanders and fellow rookie Cam Ward in Week 14 when the Browns host the Tennessee Titans.
Ward and Sanders came into the 2025 NFL Draft as the projected No. 1 and No. 2 quarterback prospects, a fact that bonded the pair through pre-draft training sessions. Those projections only turned out to be half-right; the Titans picked Ward No. 1 overall while Sanders fell into the fifth round as the sixth quarterback selected. But now, following a win in his first start, Sanders has taken over as the Browns' starter, even with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel having cleared the concussion protocol.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSanders and Ward now have as many wins as one another, despite Ward's serious advantage in number of starts. Ward has been the only quarterback the Titans have used all season, leading the team to a 1-10 record and putting his squad atop the leaderboard to earn the No. 1 overall pick again for the 2026 draft. He ranks at or near the bottom among qualified quarterbacks in nearly every significant stat, though he did play his most efficient game in Week 12 against Seattle.
Even in Sanders' debut win, he didn't set the world aflame either. He completed 11 of 20 attempts for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Cleveland (3-8) faces the San Francisco 49ers (7-4) in their next game before hosting the Titans. The Titans host the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4) at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 30 (noon CT, CBS), ending a four-game homestand before making the trip to Cleveland.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Shedeur Sanders vs Cam Ward matchup looks likely after Browns announcement
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