Shedeur Sanders faced an unfortunate event during his NFL debut on Sunday evening when his home was reportedly burgled. This incident adds to a growing list of athletes targeted by burglars, according to multiple sources.
While the specifics regarding what, if anything, was stolen remain unclear, and no suspects have been identified as per Pro Football Talk, it highlights a troubling trend of break-ins at athletes’ homes.
Recently, other high-profile athletes have also fallen victim to similar crimes. Last month, the home of Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was broken into. Similar incidents have been reported involving former Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić, Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan, among others.
In response to these incidents, both the NFL and NBA issued warnings in November 2024 to raise awareness about the burglaries, which often occur while players are engaged in games and away from home.
On the night of the break-in, Sanders was at Huntington Bank Field participating in Cleveland’s game against the Ravens. He stepped in after starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel exited the game with a concussion. This marked Sanders’ first official appearance since being drafted by the Browns in the fifth round earlier in April.
Sanders took over in the early third quarter, completing two passes on his first drive but subsequently threw an interception on the following possession.
Sanders, who also appeared in two preseason games for the Browns, finished just 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards and an interception during Cleveland’s 23-16 loss to the Ravens, which dropped its record to 2-8 entering Sunday’s game against the Raiders in another lost season.
“I’m thankful for the supporters, thankful for the fans,” Sanders told reporters after the game. “Thank you for everybody out there that believes. And yeah, when I got out there, I definitely felt them. And you know, I am truly thankful for it. … I’m thankful for seeing all them 12 jerseys out there, and it was a great feeling.”
But Sanders is expected to make his first-career start in Las Vegas, according to Cleveland.com, with Bailey Zappe serving as the No. 2 quarterback, Gabriel needing to clear concussion protocol and Deshaun Watson is on injured reserve with his 21-day practice window still unopened.
