It is the moment NFL fans have been waiting for – Shedeur Sanders plays football on Sunday.The Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback will finally make the first NFL start of his career against the 2-8 Las Vegas Raiders on the road against Allegiant Stadium.Sanders has finally got an opportunity to start – now he needs to make the most of itGettyKevin Stefanski and his coaching staff have been forced into making this decision as rookie Dillon Gabriel has not yet cleared concussion protocol following his exit in the first half of their 23-16 defeat to division rivals Baltimore Ravens. Despite Stefanski’s admission that he wanted to redshirt the former Colorado Buffaloes star for the 2025 season, it is now Shedeur time in Cleveland (or Las Vegas on a technicality).It isn’t just the fans that are excited but also the long-time Browns insiders, as ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Rizzo and Tony Grossi made the trip to Vegas along with a plethora of the Dawg Pound faithful. “Everybody knows that I am a big Shedeur fan,” Rizzo said to the crowd of travelling Browns fans in a pre-game event. “I might be more nervous than Deion right now tonight.”Shedeur’s father, Hall of Famer and NFL icon Deion Sanders admitted he cried real tears of joy when he learned that his son had finally made his NFL debut, despite the rookie’s historically-low 13.5 passer rating. “But you know what?” Rizzo continued. “I told him ‘let it rip.’ Whatever happens out there – same thing with Baker (Mayfield). “Remember when Baker came in on that Thursday night? We went and opened the fridges with the Jets. That’s how Shedeur’s going in. “He’s confident. He feels it. Whether they win or lose, we’ll see.”Similarly, Tony Grossi, who has been known to critique Sanders in the past, also had some positive words for the 23-year-old ahead of his first start. “Everyone who listens to us knows that Riz and I have battled tooth-and-nail. Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, back-and-forth, back-and-forth,” Grossi said. Dillon Gabriel (R) didn’t clear concussion protocol in time to face the Raiders, giving Sanders (L) an opportunity to see the fieldGettySanders will be hoping his first start fares better than his debut against the RavensGetty“The irony of this week. Riz is on edge over what may happen tomorrow. I think positive. I have a positive vibe for Shedeur’s first start. “What can happen tomorrow is a story that I’ve waited to write all year long. It can happen. If it does happen, there are 13 Browns quarterbacks who have made their first start in the NFL expansion era. They’ve all lost. “Shedeur has a chance to change that, and that’s a story that I wanna write, and if it happens, it would be legendary.”History is on the line for SandersIn what was revealed to be his first ever snaps with the first team offense, Sanders endured a rough start to his NFL career, throwing just 4-of-16 for 47 yards, whilst he rushed for an additional 16 yards from three carries as the Ravens pulled off the comeback win. But his career has already been full of adversity, dating back to draft night when he fell out of the first-round and had to wait until Day 3 and the fifth-round to hear his name called out. After his debut in a Week 11 loss to Cleveland’s division rivals, Sanders also had to contend with his home being broken into while he was out on the field, with a reported $200k worth of property having been stolen. Sanders has a great chance to outperform struggling Raiders QB Geno SmithGettyNow, heading into the Week 12 contest against opposite quarterback Geno Smith – who has too endured a tumultuous season with the Raiders since his trade from the Seattle Seahawks in the off-season – Sanders could do something no other Browns quarterback has done in 26 years. Dating back to 1999, when the franchise returned back to Cleveland, Browns quarterbacks who make their first career start have gone 0-17. The last Browns player to win was Eric Zeier, who needed overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals back in 1995. That season, eight-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick was in charge, and it was the final season before the Browns moved to Baltimore to become known as the Ravens. NFL's Greatest......Ranking the top 10......Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and moreTight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?With the Raiders – part-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady – entering the matchup with the third-worst offense in the NFL to the Browns’ second-best defense, there is no better time for Sanders to let the league know what time it is, as he bids not only to make Browns QB history, but also show that is is the right choice for being the starter after all. Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.