The Cleveland Browns were expected by many to draft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.
But no one expected it to be in the fifth round with the No. 144 overall pick.
Yet, here we are, still talking about it. … and now on Monday, another chapter to the story.
Sanders is official a Cleveland Brown as the fifth-round quarterback signed his rookie contract on Monday that's valued at four years and $4.6 million.
The Browns announced the signing on Monday.
Sanders' historic three-day free fall in the selection show was the biggest storyline of the draft this year, and now that attention turns to his future with the team and in the NFL.
Bleacher Report's Alex Kay believes Sanders' current situation in a crowded QB room in Cleveland, which also boasts fellow rookie signal caller Dillon Gabriel, doesn't bode well for his ability to make an immediate impact in 2025.
"Sanders joins a quarterback room that went from the league’s thinnest to most crowded in short order. The Browns, desperate for QB help with the disappointing Deshaun Watson potentially sidelined for all of 2025, opened the offseason by trading for 2022 first-rounder turned journeyman Kenny Pickett. The team also signed the aging Joe Flacco, a veteran presence with Super Bowl experience, as a potential contender for the QB1 role.
"If that weren’t enough competition for Sanders, the Buffaloes star must also beat out Dillon Gabriel—a signal-caller who ranked 140 slots below Sanders on the B/R Scouting Department’s final big board—after the Browns opted to draft the Oregon/Oklahoma/UCF product at No. 94 overall."
Maybe this is bad news for the Browns ... or maybe it means it just isn't Shedeur's turn yet.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said that he thinks Sanders will "outproduce his draft slot" eventually, but given the logjam inside the room, that's unlikely to happen early on.
Flacco led the team to a 4-1 finish in 2023 after taking over the starting role late in the season due to injuries, and is somewhat of a fan favorite after returning this offseason.