Cleveland Browns veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has witnessed plenty of memorable debuts throughout his esteemed 17-year career, but few have generated as much preseason attention as Shedeur Sanders’ looming start against the Carolina Panthers.

About four months removed from falling to the fifth round of the NFL Draft, Sanders will get an opportunity to prove himself on Friday evening in his first career preseason game. The former Colorado Buffaloes star is expected to guide Cleveland’s offense for most of the matchup, with Flacco and fellow Browns quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett watching from the sideline.

Joe Flacco Speaks On Shedeur Sanders’ Personal Milestone

While Flacco is ultimately looking to win Cleveland’s starting quarterback job over Sanders, the fellow human in him recognizes how special Friday will be for his 23-year-old teammate.

“It’ll be interesting,” Flacco told reporters after Cleveland’s join practice with the Panthers on Wednesday. “I think we’ll all be sitting there watching and be excited for football to be going real-time. And I think he’s (Sanders) probably excited about that too.”

Flacco then reminisced about his first preseason game in the NFL, which came against the New England Patriots on Aug. 7, 2008. Then a rookie with the Baltimore Ravens, Flacco entered the game late and didn’t complete any of his three passes.

“Your first time you go in the NFL, I remember mine,” Flacco said. “I didn’t get to play until the last two minutes of the game, but it’s something that he’ll remember forever. Most of us have dreamt about this moment since we were five, six, seven, eight years old. For him to get a chance to go out there and actually take the field even though it’s preseason, we’re all gonna be on the sidelines and at home enjoying it.”

Growth Of Shedeur Sanders

Flacco was then asked to share his thoughts on how Sanders, the youngest son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, has grown during his early days in the NFL.

“I think he’s come in from Day 1 with a pretty good head on his shoulders, a pretty good method about how he thinks he should do things,” Flacco said. “I think we’ve all been in that room together and all picked up little things from each other. I think he’s just staying the course and continuing to try to grab things here and there.”

Jul 26, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) talks to quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns defensive end and six-time Pro Bowler Myles Garrett also shared his thoughts on Sanders’ opportunity to start on Friday.

“He’s funny, he’s optimistic, he’s light-hearted, but he works hard,” Garrett said Wednesday, per the Browns. “He takes it seriously, his craft. He’s watching what the others are doing and doing it his own way, which only he can. I’m looking forward to seeing him in these preseason games and how he manages the offense.”