The Cleveland Browns came very close to winning their Week 9 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, but ultimately fell 23-22 in overtime. Shedeur Sanders made the most of his first start of the season after stepping in for Deshaun Watson and putting together an impressive performance.

The Browns failed to convert a go-ahead two-point attempt in overtime, but Sanders gave the team a lot to feel good about. His performance naturally caught the attention of Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Cowher, who believes the second-year QB should remain Cleveland’s starter.

Bill Cowher Weighs In on Browns QB Shedeur Sanders

Although Watson exited concussion protocol late in the week, Cleveland stuck with Sanders after he took all the first-team reps in practice. The decision paid off, as Sanders completed 19 of 31 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, while adding 28 yards on 10 carries.

Sanders’ performance impressed Cowher, who praised the young quarterback during CBS’ postgame coverage and made his stance on Cleveland’s QB situation clear.

“Shedeur Sanders should be the starter for this football team. He’s going to be the future, and I think what he showed today, his resiliency, he continued to come back. He made great decisions. He extended plays. I loved the way he played,” Cowher, the 1992 AP Coach of the Year, said.

The X user who shared the clip agreed with Cowher’s assessment, writing, “I definitely rather listen to a Hall of Fame [coach] than a bunch of losers on the Internet, who hate that young man for no reason.”

The newest addition to CBS’s game-day coverage, former NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, had a different take than Cowher. He argued that Watson should get the starting job back, believing the veteran gives Cleveland its best chance to win this season.

“I think Deshaun Watson has played good enough,” Wilson said. “In terms of being able to overcome and being in the situation that he is, he gave these guys a chance… They’re not out of it yet, though, and to me, Deshaun Watson, I think, may give them the best chance this season.”

Some fans agreed with Wilson’s assessment of Cleveland’s quarterback situation.

“Shedeur is my guy, but I agree with Russell. This o-line is [expletive], and I’d rather have Deshaun play and Shedeur prepare for next year, and hope they get a better o-lineman, especially with Watson’s contract off the books. Also, Todd Monken was too conservative early on,” one user remarked.

In a surprising twist, Blaze Media’s Jason Whitlock seemed to agree with Cowher that Sanders had done enough to earn the starting job for the rest of the season.

“I think I agree with Cowher. I’ll need to sleep on it before making a final decision. I agree he should start the rest of the season. No proof he’s the future of the franchise,” the polarizing analyst wrote.

While much of the CBS crew praised Sanders’ Week 9 performance, not everyone agreed with Cowher’s assessment.

One fan dismissed Cowher’s suggestion, arguing that the former Steelers coach still holds a grudge against his old AFC North rivals despite praising the Browns’ performance.

“Bill Cowher hates the Browns and loves to see them fail,” they wrote.

Another fan appeared to mock critics who had questioned Sanders and his supporters, writing, “I guess he doesn’t know ball either, huh lol.”

Others focused on Sanders’ progress compared with the quarterbacks selected ahead of him in the 2025 NFL Draft.

One fan wrote, “Outplayed Cam Ward check, Tyler Shough close but check. Who else that was drafted before him?”

So far, Ward and Shough are the only quarterbacks from Sanders’ draft class he has faced. However, he also moved ahead of Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart last season and won the backup job behind Watson this year.

Watson, who ranks 24th on PFN’s QB Impact Metric, is expected to return next week against the Houston Texans, but Sanders’ Week 9 performance gave Cleveland a promising look at his potential.