While it’s true that Shedeur Sanders isn’t starting against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the regular-season opener, the quarterback earned his first start of the season against the Buffalo Bills in the Cleveland Browns‘ second preseason matchup. However, the game was interrupted by heavy rain. Now, Sanders’ brother, Shilo, has chimed in to recall his own preseason experience against the Bills, which also involved rain.
“I’m proud brother over here,” said Shilo when a fan asked his thoughts on the Browns’ preseason matchup against the Bills. “…Shedeur is almost perfect. I need fire emojis for that. That rain was crazy. The rain delay was crazy. I feel that stuff is rigged, though, because last year, whenever I had my preseason game versus the Bills, I think we got a rain delay, too. That’s what was telling me. Rain delay was crazy. Rain delay two years in a row was crazy.”
The Browns hosted the Bills at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland last week, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. The game began on time, yes. But severe weather pushed the teams off the field with 13:30 remaining in the first quarter because of lightning in the area.
Multiple reports suggested heavy rain and a severe thunderstorm warning for Cuyahoga County, with lightning and thunder around the stadium. Subsequently, the game was delayed for roughly an hour before being resumed at 2:15 p.m. ET. In simple terms, Shedeur Sanders’ first start of the 2026 football season was interrupted due to heavy rain.
Once the game resumed, the quarterback led a touchdown drive. He completed 9-of-11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown, and one interception before veteran Deshaun Watson took over.
For Shilo Sanders, however, the rain reminded him of his own matchup against the Bills during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ preseason finale in 2025. While the official game recap described the conditions as rainy in Tampa Bay, there was no mention of a suspension, weather delay, or interruption to the game. The Bills, meanwhile, defeated the Buccaneers 23-19 at Raymond James Stadium.
The weather forecast ahead of the game had predicted a 70% chance of storms. However, the likelihood of precipitation declined slightly as kickoff approached. At the same time, high humidity was a major factor during the Bills’ matchup against the Buccaneers in the 2025 preseason finale.
For Shilo Sanders, however, the matchup carried significant weight, considering it marked his final NFL appearance. During the game, Sanders was ejected after being flagged for unnecessary roughness following a punch to Bills tight end Zach Davidson. Subsequently, the Buccaneers released him during the final roster cuts, and Shilo Sanders has yet to find another team.
As for Shedeur Sanders, he’s preparing to start his second NFL season. Following the Bills’ matchup, however, head coach Todd Monken named Deshaun Watson as the team’s starting quarterback ahead of the regular season opener against the Jaguars.
“Took in the full body of work over the course of offseason to training camp, to the games, the joint practice, and ultimately felt like to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points,” said Monken on Monday. “I mean, that’s really what it’s about. And felt that way going in the last game but wasn’t sure. And after we talked as a staff and after we relooked at everything, we’re going to go that direction.”
Watson will be starting his first regular season game for the Browns since suffering a torn Achilles tendon during the 2024 season. The injury forced him to miss the remainder of the 2024 season and the entire 2025 season. Now, he’s entering the final year of his five-year, $230 million deal. Sanders, on the other hand, will once again have to wait for the starting opportunity.