NFL Decides on Punishment for Shedeur Sanders Incident

The Cleveland Browns secured a 24-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12, improving their record to 3-8. Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a fifth-round pick, made his first career start after Dillon Gabriel was sidelined with a concussion.

Sanders delivered a solid performance, completing 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception, and achieving an 87.3 passer rating. He was also sacked once for a loss of three yards.

Late in the third quarter, on a first-and-10 play with 53 seconds remaining, Sanders attempted a pass to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, which fell incomplete. Instead of the Browns facing a second down, Raiders defensive tackle Adam Butler was penalized for roughing the passer. The 15-yard penalty awarded Cleveland an automatic first down, and the drive concluded with a field goal, extending the lead to 17-3.

Alongside the yardage penalty, Butler faced the possibility of further discipline from the NFL. League rules state that players can be fined $17,389 for roughing the passer, increasing to $23,186 for a repeat offense in the same season. The NFL announced its Week 12 fines on Saturday, confirming that Butler would not receive a fine for the incident. Among the 13 fines issued that week, none were related to roughing the passer.

With the fine avoided, Butler and the struggling 2-9 Raiders now look to end a five-game losing streak as they prepare for a Week 13 matchup against the 7-4 Los Angeles Chargers. Meanwhile, Sanders and the Browns aim for their fourth win of the season as they host the 8-4 San Francisco 49ers. Despite Gabriel being healthy, head coach Kevin Stefanski has already named Sanders as the starter.

Source: Originally published by Athlon Sports on Nov 29, 2025, in the NFL section.

Author: Sophia Brooks