If you were kind of on the fence about how you felt about Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders before this, you might not be anymore. At least if you’re a Baltimore Ravens fan.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported just hours ahead of the Browns traveling to face the Ravens in Week 2 that Sanders told the Ravens not to take him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
A surprising draft-day twist led to Shedeur Sanders winding up with the Browns,” Schefter wrote on his official X account on September 14. Ravens planned to take Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round, but before Baltimore could turn in the card, the former Colorado star let it be known that he didn’t want to be on a roster with Lamar Jackson, where he would be a backup.
It’s an incredible thing to think of — a fifth round pick asking a team not to pick him to play backup quarterback to a 2-time NFL Most Valuable Player. Sanders was eventually taken by the Browns in the fifth round (No. 144 overall).
Sanders is currently the emergency third quarterback for Cleveland behind starter and former Ravens Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco and 2025 third round pick Dillon Gabriel.
One Of Draft Day’s Craziest Stories Of All Time
Sanders was at the heart of one of the craziest draft day stories of all time.
Projected as a first round pick after a record setting career playing at Jackson State and Colorado for his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders was projected as a first round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
On draft day, things went off the rails. Sanders’ drop didn’t stop until the third day with the Browns — but apparently not before the Ravens unsuccessfully tried to add him to the roster.
“It’s disgusting, I don’t know what else to say about it,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said about Sanders going undrafted after the first 3 rounds. ” … There’s quarterbacks coming off the board who aren’t even close to what he is. I don’t get it.”
Damning Pre-Draft Report Likely Hurt Sanders
While it’s not clear exactly why teams have stayed away from Sanders en masse, one damning report leading up to the draft seems to be part of the equation.
“(Sanders) was worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life,” an anonymous NFL assistant told NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero on April 22. “He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. … But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.”
“It didn’t go great in our interview,” an anonymous AFC executive told Pelissero. “He wants to dictate what he’s going to do and what’s best for him. He makes you feel small.”
What’s incredible about Sanders not wanting to be drafted by the Ravens is he would have inarguably been in a better situation in Baltimore than anywhere else. With the Ravens, he would have likely gotten a better shot to be the team’s primary backup.
That’s not to mention the biggest benefit — getting to serve an apprenticeship behind Jackson, who could one day join Sanders’ father in the Hall of Fame.
Insider: Shedeur Sanders Made Shocking Ravens Request on Draft Day