Browns' Shedeur Sanders impressive in NFL preseason debut, tosses 2 TD passes in win over Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rookie Shedeur Sanders’ NFL preseason debut was so impressive even LeBron James took notice.

Sanders completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdown passes in the first half to Kaden Davis on Friday night as the Cleveland Browns defeated the Carolina Panthers 30-10.

“That young (man) looking good out there,” James posted on X. “Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high.”

The four-time NBA champion followed up with another post, adding “And I don’t wanna hear that ‘It’s only preseason’ bs. Cause if he was out there not going in y’all would be on his (butt) about it! So give credit and grace lames.”

Sanders, a highly-rated draft prospect who endured a dramatic fall into the fifth round in April, entered the game fourth on the Browns depth chart, but was pressed into starting duty because of injuries. His status could change after he led three touchdown drives in nearly three full quarters of action, showing tremendous poise and awareness in the pocket.

Sanders said he's not worried about how the depth chart shakes out.

“When I get out there it's just doing what I gotta do,” Sanders said. “Everything else is not in my hands, so I don't worry about it. I just don’t think that deep into everything because it’s nothing you’re gonna be able to control. So why put energy in something that you can’t control?”

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he was pleased with how Sanders played, but said it's too early to know if he will get more reps in practice or start the next preseason game against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in what is viewed as an open quarterback competition.

"I’m honestly not focused there,” Stefanski said. “I think the guys need to continue to earn their roles. That’s what these guys are doing.”

While Sanders played into the third quarter, counterpart Bryce Young had a quick, but effective night for Carolina.

Young played two series and completed 4 of 6 passes for 58 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker to give Carolina an early 7-0 lead. Coker, who is battling for a roster spot after a solid rookie season, had an impressive night, also hauling in a long pass with one hand while a defender had ahold of one of his arms, although the play was called back on a penalty.

But this night belonged to Sanders.

After failing to score in his first three possessions while facing Carolina’s starters, Sanders began to heat up against the second team in the second quarter.

The Browns caught a break when they recovered a muffed punt return by the Panthers at the Carolina 10.

Two plays later Sanders fired a 7-yard TD strike between two defenders to tie the game in the second quarter. After a couple of nifty runs and throws, Sanders found Davis again over the middle for a 12-yard score to give Cleveland the lead with 1:04 left in the first half.

Davis finished with three catches for 23 yards.

Cleveland stretched its lead to 21-7 in the third quarter when Gage Larvadain scored on a jet sweep from 4 yards out.

The Panthers managed just 251 yards on offense to go along with six penalties for 60 yards and two turnovers.

“Part of our play style is playing smart and I don't feel like we did that," Panthers coach Dave Canales said.

Panthers second-year wide receiver Xavier Legette had a short night after getting ejected early in the first quarter when he threw several punches at Browns cornerback Rayshawn Jenkins after the two got locked up in a block well after the completion of a play.

“You can't have that,” Canales said. “As soon as you throw a punch, we are at a disadvantage.”

Jenkins, who eventually ripped off Legette’s helmet, was also ejected from the game.

Browns: Visit Philadelphia on Aug. 16.

Panthers: Visit Houston on Aug. 16.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is pursued by Carolina Panthers linebacker D.J. Wonnum during the first half of a preseason NFL football game on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders runs against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a preseason NFL football game on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young breaks away from Cleveland Browns defensive end Sam Kamara during the first half of a preseason NFL football game on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders passes against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a preseason NFL football game on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders celebrates after a touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a preseason NFL football game on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

The White House and a bipartisan group of governors are pressuring the operator of the mid-Atlantic power grid to take urgent steps to boost energy supply and curb price hikes, holding a Friday event aimed at addressing a rising concern among voters about the enormous amount of power used for artificial intelligence ahead of elections later this year.

The White House said its National Energy Dominance Council and the governors of several states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, want to try to compel PJM Interconnection to hold a power auction for tech companies to bid on contracts to build new power plants,

The Trump administration and governors will sign a statement of principles toward that end Friday. The plan was first reported by Bloomberg.

“Ensuring the American people have reliable and affordable electricity is one of President Trump’s top priorities, and this would deliver much-needed, long-term relief to the mid-Atlantic region," said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to be at the White House, a person familiar with Shapiro’s plans said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement. Shapiro, a Democrat, made his participation in Friday’s event contingent on including a provision to extend a limit on wholesale electricity price increases for the region’s consumers, the person said.

But the operator of the grid won't be there. “PJM was not invited. Therefore we would not attend,” said spokesperson Jeff Shields.

It was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump would attend the event, which was not listed on his public schedule.

Trump and the governors are under pressure to insulate consumers and businesses alike from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers. Meanwhile, more Americans are falling behind on their electricity bills.

Consumer advocates say ratepayers in the mid-Atlantic electricity grid — which encompasses all or parts of 13 states stretching from New Jersey to Illinois, as well as Washington, D.C. — are already paying billions of dollars in higher bills to underwrite the cost to supply power to data centers, some of them built, some not.

However, they also say that the billions of dollars that consumers are paying isn’t resulting in the construction of new power plants necessary to meet the rising demand.

Pivotal contests in November will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill for the data centers that underpin the explosion in demand for artificial intelligence. In parts of the country, data centers are coming online faster than power plants can be built and connected to the grid.

Electricity costs were a key issue in last year's elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, a data center hotspot, and in Georgia, where Democrats ousted two Republican incumbents for seats on the state’s utility regulatory commission. Voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City all cited economic concerns as the top issue, as Democrats and Republicans gird for a debate over affordability in the intensifying midterm battle to control Congress.

Gas and electric utilities sought or won rate increases of more that $34 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, consumer advocacy organization PowerLines reported. That was more than double the same period a year earlier.

Meta's Stanton Springs Data Center is seen Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Newton County, East of Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)