After stepping up against the Jaguars in Week 1, RB Raheim Sanders is continuing to stay grounded. He is focused on doing his job as the Browns prepare for their matchup against the Buccaneers.
Sanders is heading into Week 2 as an option behind RB Quinshon Judkins following RB Dylan Sampson's placement on injured reserve on Sept. 15.
"I'm keeping the main thing the main thing," Sanders said. "Whatever position they put me in, just play at my best, and that's the only thing I have to worry about."
To secure a spot in the Browns' running back room and the 53-man roster this season, Sanders competed throughout training camp and the preseason to showcase his skillset both in the run game and on special teams. Last year, Sanders was on the Browns' practice squad during early parts of the season but appeared in four games and made one start. He finished 2025 with 27 carries for 92 yards and one touchdown. Now, as he serves as a backfield option for the Browns against the Buccaneers, one area of the game that Sanders could also look to impact is kickoff returns.
Sanders demonstrated that impact on kickoff returns in Week 1 against Jacksonville. After Sampson — who started the game as one of Cleveland's primary kick returners — exited the game with a knee injury in the first quarter, Sanders assumed that position next to WR Malachi Corley. In that role, Sanders finished the game with 130 kickoff return yards, which was the fourth highest total in the NFL in Week 1. On three attempts, Sanders' average yards per return of 43.3 ranked third in the league.
Sanders' presence on special teams was highlighted by a 74-yard return in the third quarter that set up a 26-yard field goal from K Andre Szmyt. Sanders recalled seeing green grass in front of him as the play developed.
"I'll definitely say we've been in the meeting rooms heavy, harping on every return that we had, and that was a one that I saw come to life," Sanders said. "And whenever I saw that, I just hit it straight forward and everything after that was just history."
Sanders' 74-yard return was the second longest in the NFL during Week 1, only behind Dolphins RB Jaylen Wright's 79-yard return against the Raiders. The return was also the longest for the Browns since Travis Benjamin had an 86-yard return on Oct. 20, 2013, against the Packers.
On offense, Sanders finished the game with three receptions for 25 yards and was the Browns' fourth leading receiver behind WR Denzel Boston, WR KC Concepcion Jr. and WR Jerry Jeudy.
"I felt like I did good," Sanders said. "I'm always going to say I can do better, just sharpen up the little things, but otherwise I feel like I did good. But we didn't get to win, so that's something that I harp on a lot. I can good all day, but the win mattered more to me."
Sanders credited his receptiveness to coaching as a big reason for his early successful contributions on special teams. One of the coaches that has helped is running backs coach Duce Staley, who has taught Sanders about staying ready for when his name is called. Staley has shared different lessons from his 10 seasons in the NFL as a running back, which has helped Sanders understand his role on the field quicker.
"I feel like it's just the same as a vet that's been in a room talking to you," Sanders said. "But when you have a coach that's been there, been in your shoes in every situation, he's a key (to) making me understand things even faster in his perspective because he was a football player before."
As he looks to make his mark, Sanders brings physicality to the Browns' rushing attack, which TE Harold Fannin Jr. has noticed and competed against.
"Obviously a physical guy, obviously runs hard," Fannin said about Sanders. "We have this little battle going on, whenever we get the ball (we) see how many people it takes us to get tackled. It's a thing that me and him got."
With the confidence and support of his teammates and coaches, Sanders is preparing for the Buccaneers by working on the game plan. As a unit, the Browns' running back room is concentrating on the task at hand, mirroring Sanders' personal mindset.
"We're keeping the main thing the main thing," Sanders said. "I feel like we help each other in the room. Even with (Sampson) down, he still helps us. So, we just keep it like that."
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