Baltimore Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton hit Shedeur Sanders’ signature celebration after sacking him in his debut.
Sanders stepped in for an injured Dillon Gabriel, who suffered a head injury in the third quarter of the Cleveland Browns‘ game against the Ravens.
The former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback has been the Browns’ backup quarterback ever since they traded away Joe Flacco, moving Gabriel into the starting slot and then Sanders into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.
During Sanders’ first-ever series in an NFL regular-season game, he started well with two completions, but on third down, he was blitzed and sacked by Kyle Hamilton.
With Sanders on the ground, Hamilton held up his wrist, mimicking the “watch flex” celebration that the quarterback coined back in his college days with Colorado.
It has been widely adopted by the sports world, becoming a celebration used by Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren and WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
Sanders is known for his confident demeanor on the field, and it has made him a polarizing figure within the sports world. Hamilton, who is likely well-connected in the sports culture world, was ready in case he made a play for Sanders.
Entering Sunday’s game, head coach Kevin Stefanski noted how hard Sanders had been working in preparation for gameday.
“He’s doing a really nice job, including just now coming off the field with the red zone drill that we did,” Stefanski said. “So (he) continues to work very hard, doing a nice job in meetings, doing a good job.”
Sanders was a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, after two headline-grabbing seasons at Colorado. Together with former teammate and Heisman trophy winner Travis Hunter, the quarterback injected life into the football program.
Shedeur’s father, Deion, is a legendary NFL player who was a cross-sports icon. Since his playing days ended, he has become a football coach.
Deion leads the football team at Colorado, and he got the chance to coach his son for two years with the Buffaloes.
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