Shedeur Sanders fell to the fifth round in the 2025 NFL Draft after being a projected first-round pick.
And while his wait was longer than expected — and included a prank phone call — the Cleveland Browns quarterback had a conversation with Tom Brady that left him with high hopes for his NFL career.
“That my story is going to be similar,” Sanders told reporters of what he took away from their conversation. “I was a late-round draft pick, but we’re here now, so none of that stuff matters. That just mattered on the day, and I’m just excited to be here and ready to work.”
Brady was drafted No. 199 in 2000 and went on to become arguably the NFL’s greatest quarterback and led the New England Patriots to two dynasties with six Super Bowl titles. After Brady left New England in 2020, he won his seventh Super Bowl in his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It will be a long while before it’s known what kind of career Sanders will have. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported that Sanders “performed well on the field” during rookie minicamp, adding he "exhibited good arm strength, sound decision‐making."
Sanders is ready to prove himself in Cleveland and will try win the quarterback battle this summer ahead of Week 1.