Shedeur Sanders ended his rookie season on a high note in Week 18.
The rookie passer led his Cleveland Browns to a win over the rival Cincinnati Bengals, and the team ends with a 5-12 record. It's a disappointing season, undoubtedly, but the team does have to feel good about ending the season with two wins.
Sanders has been one of the most talked about players in the NFL. However, it was far from a perfect debut campaign for the quarterback, and one stat shows just how challenging it was.
Sports media executive David Bearman pointed out on Sunday that Sanders ends the 2025 season with an 18.9 QBR. That's the fifth-worst mark among 696 quarterbacks who have attempted at least 200 passes since QBR became a stat in 2006.
It's also the worst single-season QBR average for any Browns quarterback with at least six starts. Considering the amount of poor quarterbacks the team has employed, that's an eye-popping stat.
QBR, or quarterback rating, values the quarterback on all play types on a 0-100 scale adjusted for the strength of opposing defenses faced. Sanders definitely faced stiff competition, and didn't have the best supporting cast, but it's still a bad look.
Sanders ended the season with 1,289 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. In Week 18, Sanders completed just 11 of his 22 passes for 111 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Despite Sanders' mediocre performance in Week 18, the Browns were able to do enough to escape with a 20-18 win. A 97-yard pick-six from linebacker Devin Bush ended up being the difference in the game, as the Browns' elite defense bailed them out once again.
Now, the Browns have some important decisions to make. The team will have the No. 6 pick in the first round of the NFL draft, and will have the resources to possibly trade up for a quarterback. Will the team be aggressive for a rookie passer, or will Sanders get a full season to prove whether or not he can be the guy?
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