Back in January, the buzz around Shedeur Sanders was so loud you’d think the Browns had drafted the face of the league, not the 144th pick. Cameras followed his cleats. Analysts debated his poise like it was a Monday Night Football segment. And when minicamp rolled around, fans packed the fence lines just to see him toss a few passes in shorts. But if the draft day slide wasn’t enough, the NFL’s latest announcement on May 15, the spotlight firmly turned off.

The NFL just dropped its 2025 schedule. And even with the NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing, fans can’t stop talking football. That’s the kind of grip the league has: drop a schedule in May, and boom, it’s headline news. Some teams are breathing easy, though. The 49ers, for instance, can sleep a little better. Kyle Shanahan and crew got handed one of the softest schedules out there. On the other hand, Russell Wilson might want to buckle up. The Giants pulled the short straw—toughest strength of schedule and a gauntlet of elite pass rushers.

Then there’s the Browns, Saints, and Titans. Not the kind of group you want to be in right now. They’ve all been handed a bit of a slap in the face. No primetime love whatsoever. And when it comes to Cleveland, the news hits a little differently. Because the amount of spotlight Shedeur Sanders had, you’d think the league would toss Kevin Stefanski’s team at least one primetime game. But no, that’s not how the schedules are decided. 

No primetime games. None. Not on Thursday. Not on Sunday. Not even Monday. For a team that just drafted one of the most talked-about college QBs in years, the omission stung. This is the first time since 2017 that Cleveland has been completely shut out of the primetime slate. Instead, they’ve been relegated to mostly early Sunday kickoffs—a time slot often reserved for rebuilding rosters or forgotten matchups. The lone exception? A Week 5 international game in London versus the Minnesota Vikings, broadcast on NFL Network. No NBC. No ESPN. Just tea, crumpets, and kickoff before brunch.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs are enjoying the red carpet treatment, including the NFL’s first-ever Friday opener in Brazil. It’s the kind of disparity that raises eyebrows—and pressure. The league has rewarded Kansas City with five primetime games in the first eight weeks of the season—for the first time in NFL history.

Well, missing out on primetime action this year must be disappointing for the team, especially for rookie Shedeur Sanders, who already has a point to prove.

Shedeur’s redemption tour begins at minicamp

For Shedeur Sanders, it’s another log on the fire. After a much-hyped draft cycle ended in a stunning fifth-round selection, and now this primetime blackout, many expected the 22-year-old to respond with flash. Instead, he showed something rarer: restraint. “He doesn’t talk that much. It’s the people around him that do all the talking,” former linebacker Emmanuel Acho observed during an FS1 segment. “I don’t think I’ve been more fond of Shedeur than I am right now.”

Those close to the Browns say Kevin Stefanski has taken notice. The coach, who now faces a quarterback room more crowded than a Thanksgiving buffet—Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders—reportedly told team insiders that “rep rotations will be earned, not handed.” After an impressive rookie minicamp performance, Sanders is getting more than a token look.

Veteran Deshaun Watson, who hasn’t played a full season since 2020, remains the presumed QB1—for now. His recent Instagram post showed him throwing deep balls and working on pocket mobility. “Respect your journey. 4OVE,” he captioned it, referencing both his rehab and mantra. But Watson’s $230M contract aside, this is no longer his team by default. Kevin Stefanski, under mounting scrutiny after a 7–10 campaign in 2024, needs wins—and optics. That means if Shedeur continues his upward trend during full-team practices this month, Stefanski may have no choice but to shift his playbook—and pecking order.

Make no mistake: being left off the primetime slate isn’t just a league decision. It’s a message. And in Cleveland, that message has forced a deeper internal conversation. Stefanski reportedly met with his offensive staff after the schedule reveal to emphasize the need for early-season momentum. One source close to the Browns’ front office framed it this way: “If we want to get flexed in later in the year, we better give them a reason by Week 5.”

That window? Likely hinges on Shedeur Sanders. Because for all of Watson’s past glory and Flacco’s veteran savvy, the NFL is a league that rewards potential—and punishes indecision. That Week 5 London game could be Shedeur’s unofficial coming-out party. With Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy expected to start, it could become a battle of next-gen faces, streamed globally and evaluated through every lens. It won’t be primetime in America—but it will be watched.

And if Shedeur shines? The NFL schedule makers might have to circle back for the second half of the season. Because as Browns fans know all too well, redemption rarely comes in gold time slots. It’s earned. Play by play. Snap by snap. And that’s exactly the script Shedeur Sanders seems ready to write.