NFL, American Football Herren, USA Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Dec 28, 2025 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers 8 and Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 hug after the game at Huntington Bank Field. Cleveland Huntington Bank Field Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20251228_kdn_bk4_177
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Dec 28, 2025 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers 8 and Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 hug after the game at Huntington Bank Field. Cleveland Huntington Bank Field Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20251228_kdn_bk4_177
Dec 29, 2025, 10:30 AM CUT
Shedeur Sanders Shares Heartfelt Moment with Aaron Rodgers After Browns Beat Steelers
On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost another game to the Cleveland Browns in a 13-6 match. Despite the loss, in a heartfelt moment, Shedeur Sanders and Aaron Rodgers shared a hug post-game. But what’s so special about this?
Rodgers, the second-oldest player in the NFL, played against Dion Sanders twenty years ago. Not only does Sanders have his own stories about playing against Rodgers, but this hug was seen as the veteran rooting for the rookie.
When asked about competing with a player his father played against, Sheduer replied, “It's nice.”
“But we got a lot of old people in our locker room, so it be surreal all the time. I'm just 23. I'm just 23, having fun.”
Before the Pittsburgh Steelers vs the Cleveland Browns clash, Rodgers had said he had been following Sanders’ journey. The Steelers’ quarterback even complimented the 23-year-old on his growth with the Browns.
“I’ve followed Shedeur’s career,” Rodgers said on Friday. “I was pulling for him. It was tough draft slide.” “But it seems like he’s been patient and worked on his craft, and he’s been playing pretty good the last few weeks.”
The four-time MVP award winner further stated that he sees some similarities with Sanders.
Rodgers is Rooting for Sanders
Sanders was supposed to be a first-round draft pick, but was selected by the Browns in the fifth round. He had to wait till Week 11 to play on the field.
Similarly, in the 2005 draft, Rodgers was one of the best prospects but slid to overall No. 24. He was eventually drafted by the Green Bay Packers.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Dec 28, 2025 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers 8 and Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 hug after the game at Huntington Bank Field. Cleveland Huntington Bank Field Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20251228_kdn_bk4_176
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Dec 28, 2025 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers 8 and Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 hug after the game at Huntington Bank Field. Cleveland Huntington Bank Field Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20251228_kdn_bk4_176
“I was pulling for him. It was tough draft slide.” “Obviously, much longer wait than mine was,” he told the reporters.
In Sunday’s matchup, Sanders gave a lukewarm performance. He completed 17 passes out of 23 for 186 yards. With only one touchdown and two interceptions, he might not have met many expectations, but earned praise from head coach Kevin Stefanski.
The rookie is standing at a crossroads where he could either continue as the starting quarterback next year or be sidelined by the franchise.
As Sanders said, he is only 23. And a part of a dysfunctional team marred with injuries and mismanagement.
Will the franchise owners and critics consider Rodgers’ support for the young player and allow him to prove his worth?
Written by
Akanksha Biradar
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu