After an unexpected and protracted wait spanning nearly three days, quarterback Shedeur Sanders has officially joined the NFL ranks.
The Cleveland Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick on Saturday, bringing an end to what many are calling one of the most unusual draft slides in recent league history. The football world had been intently following the Sanders family as Shedeur’s name remained uncalled for a significant portion of the event.
“Nothing really affected me the last couple of days,” Sanders told reporters after being drafted. “I’m favored, I’m blessed. Besides that, it’s not really anything that changed. The love of the game is still the love of the game.”
Despite a draft process where he was once considered a potential first-round pick, Sanders experienced a dramatic drop. This isn’t unprecedented; other highly touted quarterbacks have faced similar surprises:
- Aaron Rodgers slid to the 25th overall pick in 2005, passed over by the San Francisco 49ers for Alex Smith.
- Patrick Mahomes was selected at No. 10 in 2017 after being bypassed by the Chicago Bears who chose Mitch Trubisky first.
- Lamar Jackson fell to the 32nd pick in 2018, following four quarterbacks being chosen before him.
Sanders’ journey was further complicated by a prank call received during a Twitch livestream on Friday night, impersonating an NFL general manager. Sanders addressed the incident stating, “Of course, I feel like it was a childish act, but everybody does childish things here and there.” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski echoed this sentiment, saying, “It’s sad that these young men have to deal with this,” adding, “It’s silly, but onward and upward.”
Now, Sanders is focused on proving himself to the Browns organization. “The main thing, I’m just proving — coach (Kevin) Stefanski and (general manager Andrew) Berry — that they are right,”
he said. “That’s it. They’re right about picking me.”
Sanders’ father and college coach, Deion Sanders, shared a message of gratitude on X: “My bible says God uses the foolish things to confound the wise & he chose the weak things of the world that he may put to shame the strong,”
he wrote. “Please know God ain’t done & God is just really getting started.”
Faith played a significant role for the Sanders family throughout the draft weekend, with numerous expressions of thanks and biblical references shared on social media.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry highlighted that while Shedeur shares his father’s competitive spirit, he also possesses unique qualities. “Shedeur is probably a little bit opposite in terms of personality with his dad,” Berry said. “A little bit quieter, a little bit more introverted, but we felt good with him as a person.” He emphasized Sanders’ work ethic and positive relationships with teammates at Colorado.
Despite some reports suggesting challenging interviews with other teams, the Browns found their interactions with Sanders to be “positive.” Berry and Stefanski indicated that Sanders will compete for the starting quarterback position in 2025. “We don’t care once they walk in the doors,” said Stefanski. “Don’t care first-round pick, seventh-round pick, undrafted. Once you’re here and you’re on this football team, you’re a part of this culture, you’re a part of this family, and we’re just going to keep our heads down and go to work.”
