[VIDEO] Shedeur Sanders' iconic watch flex celebration makes its NFL debut as Coach Prime's son takes league by storm in preseason debut vs. Panthers

NFL: Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers - Source: Imagn
Shedeur Sanders' iconic watch flex celebration makes its NFL debut - Source: Imagn

Shedeur Sanders had always been touted as a confident self-marketer throughout his college career. Now, that image has finally made its way to the pros.

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On Friday, the rookie quarterback played an NFL game for the first time in his career when his Cleveland Browns visited the Carolina Panthers in the preseason. He impressed immediately, throwing two touchdowns to Kaden Davis to help his team end halftime up 14-7.

It was not long before he did his "watch flex" celebration, and the team's social media team did not waste time posting it as soon as it happened:

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His father Deion, a Hall of Fame cornerback turned college head coach for his son at Jackson State and Colorado, had warned the media sometime before the game:

"A lot of people are approaching it like a preseason game, he's approaching it like a game... He's going to be a problem after tonight, I promise you that."

Shedeur Sanders gets much-needed rest as Browns dominate Panthers

The second half was the opposite of the first, as Shedeur Sanders and his team found themselves trading punts with the Panthers. That sequence ended when Nik Needham intercepted Andy Dalton, and Gage Larvadain punished that blunder with a four-yard rushing touchdown.

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The Panthers then lost the ball on downs on their next drive. That was when the Browns elected to deploy Tyler Huntley, who led them to the five, where Dustin Hopkins scored a field goal.

The Browns then forced a punt, which they punished with a passing touchdown to Cade McDonald. Ryan Fitzgerald ended the hosts’ drought with a field goal to end the game.

Overall, Sanders finished with 14 of 23 attempts completed for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He also carried the ball four times for 119 yards. Huntley completed six of eight passes for 51 yards and a score.

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Five players had at least 30 offensive yards for the Browns: running backs Ahmani Marshall (32 rushing yards) and Toa Taua (30 rushing yards) and wide receivers Sal Cannella (32 receiving yards) and Luke Floriea and Brenden Bates (30 receiving yards each). Julian Okwara, meanwhile, was the only person to have more than one sack in the game.

For the Panthers, Andy Dalton, Jack Plummer, and Bryce Young combined for 23 of 35 passes completed for 211 yards and a touchdown against an interception. Tetairoa McMillan was their best playmaker, covering 43 yards on just two catches.

Panthers Nation! Check out the latest Carolina Panthers Schedule and dive into the Panthers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Andre Castillo
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