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Apparently, time actually does cure past ills. That seems to be the case with Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, who appeared to have it out for one another before both entering the NFL. Seven months after the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders refused to swap jerseys with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, he’s had a change of heart. The two quarterbacks were pictured together on Instagram Sunday with each other’s jerseys in hand.
The Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns went toe-to-toe on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. Just like in the draft, Ward got the better of Sanders with the Titans edging the Browns 31-29 for only their second win of the 2025 regular season.
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Sanders went 23/42 for 364 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception. Ward’s numbers weren’t quite as impressive despite the win, as he was 14 of 28 for 117 yards and two scores with one pick.
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Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, the two were pegged to be the first two quarterbacks off the board. Ward was the first selected, though the Colorado QB had to wait until round five to hear his name called by the Cleveland Browns.
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Both have had difficult rookie seasons for their respective teams, with the Titans boasting the joint-worst record in the league at 2-11 and the Browns with only one more win. Perhaps, given how much harder life has been for each early in the pros, this has allowed them to have mutual respect for one another.
NFL analyst Jason Whitlock has said Ward is not an NFL quarterback after Sanders, by his estimation, outplayed him on Sunday.
Sanders joins exclusive company despite loss
His team may have wound up on the losing end Sunday, but there was a lot to like about Sanders’ play. The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner put up some big numbers rarely seen before from NFL rookies.
In fact, on Sunday, Sanders became just the second quarterback in the Super Bowl era to have at least 350 passing yards, three TD passes, and a rushing score in a single game. He had three carries for 29 yards against Tennessee.
The only other rookie to achieve what Sanders did on was Joe Burrow with the Cincinnati Bengals. That is quite the feat, given that the Super Bowl era is 60 years old.
Sanders has a 1-2 record since becoming the Browns’ starter, something few could have seen coming at the start of the season. Joe Flacco was the starter to begin 2025, with Dillon Gabriel getting starter reps before Sanders.
Although the Titans won’t be in the postseason, Ward and his team also knocked the Browns out of playoff contention this past weekend.
Edited by Joel Lefevre
