You’d like to think Kevin Stefanski caught enough of Shedeur Sanders’ preseason flash to bump him up for a few more reps. And that’s probably what will happen. But even if the Browns’ coach somehow let it slip past him, one global sports icon definitely didn’t, and he just happens to be one of the best basketball players in the world.

And really, you couldn’t script it better. Shedeur’s grinding for his NFL respect while Bronny James is out here trying to carve his own lane in the NBA. Two kids of absolute sports royalty, both stepping into worlds where their last names get them in the room, but also guarantee them every stumble would grab the headlines. And LeBron James saw the parallel.

After Shedeur’s solid display in the preseason opener against the Panthers, the NBA icon couldn’t help but take it to X to show some love. ” @ShedeurSanders Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high 🙌🏾🫡,” he tweeted.

Shedeur was given the nod under center only recently, thanks to injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, while Joe Flacco catches rumors of a move away from Cleveland. Yet he made the most of his preseason debut with two touchdown passes in the first half.

And LeBron? He might be living the L.A. life as a 21-time All-Star with the Lakers since 2018, but we all know the man is Ohio through and through. And if you’ve followed him on X for long enough, you’d know: the man doesn’t hand out praise unless he is genuinely taken aback. Think of that Cristiano Ronaldo overhead kick against Juventus back in 2018. The man tweets as he stands up, applauding. That’s probably what happened today with Shedeur Sanders.

It’s important to note one thing here. He tells Shedeur to “head down on the grind.” And honestly? The trajectory of Shedeur’s career is entirely contingent upon keeping his head down. Because when Coach Prime is your father, you’re in for the spotlight you never asked for. All you can do is keep your head down and focus on the grind. And Shedeur’s been doing a pretty good job of that so far.

Oh, and that wasn’t the tweet LeBron made. Yeah, he was that impressed. LeBron wasn’t about to let the preseason police kill the vibe. “And I don’t wanna hear that ‘it’s only preseason’ BS,” he fired back. “If he was out there not going in, y’all would be on his ass about it! So give credit and grace, lames,” he wrote. We love him for that. Preseason or not, this performance matters. And what a performance it was from a ‘QB4.’

Shedeur Sanders’ heroics turned heads

When Shedeur Sanders got his shot in his preseason debut, he made it count—big time. Yeah, the start was a little shaky, but once he found his rhythm? Boom. Two touchdown lasers to Kaden Davis before halftime. That’s a rookie planting his flag and saying, “I belong here.”

Sanders wrapped up the half, going 11-of-18 for 103 yards, adding on 19 rushing yards. And on top of that, not a single turnover in sight. For a fifth-round rookie listed 4th on the official depth chart, this is pretty clean. To say the least. Sure, the touchdowns grabbed the headlines, but the little things told the real story. Sanders handled mid-game O-line shuffles like a vet, kept his reads clean, and never let rookie jitters wreck his timing. That poise is what matters.

The best part? He closed the half, leading a team. Both scoring drives came right after defensive slip-ups, and instead of folding, he capitalised. He was out there rolling out, firing passes into tight windows, and keeping the offense humming through tempo changes. That’s not “maybe he belongs” football. And his dad? He noticed.

Even though Deion Sanders couldn’t be there in person, he was cheering for his son from back home. “Yes Lawd! Yes!” He tweeted after that first touchdown. He followed it up with “God is so good,” after the second one. He was a proud man tonight. And whether Stefanski rewards him with more reps or not, he did make the most of the opportunity that was given to him. That’s what matters.