Shedeur Sanders’ Browns Preseason Debut Sparks Jamie Foxx’s Willie Beamen Flashback

In just one night, rookie Shedeur Sanders managed to do two unthinkable things: make the Cleveland Browns look adept at football and bring Willie Beamen back into existence.

On Friday night, Sanders had NFL GMs looking silly for allowing him to slide all the way to the 5th round of this spring’s NFL Draft. Granted, he was slinging the rock against a vanilla Panthers defense filled with a bunch of backups…but he did what he was supposed to and then some. When given similar opportunities, plenty of rookie and veteran QBs alike have pissed down their legs. Not Shedeur.

Actor Jamie Foxx (or maybe his hologram?) noticed and channeled his inner Willie Beamen to celebrate Sanders' success.

"My name is Willie. Willie Beamen," Foxx shouted via social media in front of a TV that’s larger than most cars. "Hey, he the real deal." 

Clearly speaking of Sanders - considering the video was posted after Shedeur connected on his first career (preseason) NFL touchdown pass – Foxx asked those on the other end of his social feed "how you all feel now," repeatedly.

Speaking as a Browns fan myself, I feel pretty frickin’ good. I mean, I’ve watched Thad Lewis, Jeff Driskel, P.J. Walker and Bailey Zappe start games for the orange helmets. So quit yelling at me, Willie!

Anyway, back to Beamen. Obviously feeling the kind of confidence that he’s lacked since his days slicing up defenses as the Miami Sharks’ main attraction, Beamen insisted that "if you hate Shedeur, you hate football!"

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 08: Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns passes the ball during the first half of an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 08, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)

Jamie Foxx Played Willie Beamen In ‘Any Given Sunday’

Holy shit. This is the energy we need right now. We’re talking preseason Week One. Half these dudes are going to be working at Aldi come September. But I don’t care. Foxx/Beamen is one of us. We’ve spent months without football. It’s been torturous. Just brutal. What did you want us to do, watch baseball? I don’t even know where the A’s play anymore. Does anyone? What are my other options, the WNBA? No thanks, I prefer my dildos with a side of porn. Golf? What am I, a nerd?

Nah, give me Shedeur punching L.L. Cool J in the locker room after Cleveland's second preseason game and let's keep this momentum going.

Follow along on X @OhioAF or email me: anthony.farris@outkick.com