Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be making just his fourth NFL start on Sunday in Chicago against the Bears as part of the crowded early slate of games for Week 15.
Despite the 23-year-old throwing for 364 yards and accounting for four total touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans last Sunday, the Chicago weather forecast won’t be providing much help.
With the temperatures at Soldier Field expected to range from a high of 14 degrees to a low of -2 degrees, all signs might be pointing to both teams leaning heavily on the running game.
Such an approach gets compounded by the fact that the frigid temperatures will be accompanied by winds ranging between seven and 14 mph, and gusts of up to 27 mph.
The only minor bonus regarding the game conditions on Sunday afternoon is that, for now, there’s no snow in the forecast.
At a time when Sanders is looking to prove to the franchise that he is in fact "the guy," a weather forecast like this one might likely end up limiting the 2025 fifth-round draft pick from truly letting it fly as he did in Week 14, throwing the ball 42 times.
But with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski having officially named Sanders the team's starter for the remainder of the season, the young quarterback does hold the benefit of having three more opportunities following Sunday's game in Chicago to open some eyes within the franchise, and perhaps across the NFL.
Two of those games will be at home in Cleveland, with the Browns closing out the season on the road against their in-state rivals, the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals.
Over the course of his first three starts it's been somewhat of a mixed bag for Sanders, who has thrown five touchdowns to two interceptions, and seen some success on the ground when he chooses to take off, averaging 6.3 yards per carry and one TD.
