In the Cleveland Browns’ narrow Week 18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked a career-high six times. But while sacks became the underlying story for the matchup, one hit got the league’s attention, and they have announced a penalty for the Bengals’ player.

In their announcement this Saturday, the NFL’s Gameday Accountability report mentioned Bengals’ Cedric Johnson. He was fined $5,525 for hitting Sanders for a blow to the head/neck. During the game, the hosts were handed a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer. The Browns received an automatic first down. Since the incident was quite obviously Johnson’s fault, he might not appeal to the league.

The incident happened with 9:44 remaining in the first half. At their own 12-yard line, Sanders stepped back to look for an open receiver. However, just as he managed a short 7-yard left pass to running back Raheim Sanders, Johnson came in his face with his hands right on the QB’s head. The Browns ended the five-play drive with a negative one-yard.

According to the league rulebook, Rule 12, Section 2, defenders cannot deliver a hit to a quarterback’s head or neck or strike below the knees and the throwing arm.

In fact, they cannot apply unnecessary force after the opponent releases the pass. Using his smarts, Sanders got rid of the ball just in time to avoid another sack and, instead, force a penalty. The only exception to this rule is unavoidable contact during a slide, which did not apply in this case. Interestingly, this was the first fine of his two-year NFL career. 

Sanders finished the game 11-of-22 for 111 yards and also rushed three times for 26 yards. This rookie season hasn’t been easy for Sanders, who started the last seven games for Cleveland after replacing fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel in Week 11.

With the win, the Browns finished last in the AFC North with a 5-12 record. While there were some promising outings, Sanders could learn a thing or two from his rookie season.

Reviewing Shedeur Sanders’ rookie campaign

Sanders made his NFL debut after fellow rookie QB Dillon Gabriel was concussed in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens. While the former Colorado product could not win that game, he did show a glimpse of what he brings to the table, specifically, his long throws. In fact, one of his longest passes was a 66-yarder. In comparison, Gabriel went as far as 26 yards in his seven starts of eight games.

Sanders’ rookie season included flashes of poise despite uneven production. He showed noticeable improvement in late-game situations, highlighted by a composed fourth-quarter drive that set up the winning field goal in the Browns’ Week 18 victory.

In his seven starts for eight games played, Sanders concluded the campaign with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and ten interceptions. Sacks became his biggest trouble as he drew 23 hits on himself for 164 yards, including a career-high six in the season finale.

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As a result, he ended the season with just 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.

However, he still managed to win three games, more than any of the other two quarterbacks the team had this season. He also ended the season on a good note with two wins. It is also worth noting that he did not get any first-team reps until he was declared the starter in Week 12. Sanders enters the spring as the presumptive starter, armed with firsthand experience of NFL speed, complexity, and decision-making.

“I feel like this is a learning year for me. Moving forward I’ll be prepared,” Sanders said this Monday. “I’ll have actual, realistic reps vs. players. So, I’m excited for this offseason knowing what to expect.”

Still, as the team thinks of many aspects to avoid repeating history, they will also need to decide whether they see Sanders as their franchise QB they have lacked for a long time now, or if they should use their early round picks in the 2026 NFL draft.