It seems like many have been rooting for former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders to fail ever since he fell to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Sanders seemingly made some enemies during the pre-draft process with his larger-than-life personality and what many believe is a chip on his shoulder as the son of former Dallas Cowboys legend Deion Sanders.
Though Sanders reportedly interviewed poorly, turning some teams off with his brash demeanor and what one anonymous NFL position coach labeled as “arrogance,” that didn’t stop the Cleveland Browns, who drafted former Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel in the third round, from trading up in Round 5 to grab the 23-year-old signal-caller with 144th overall pick.
Sanders no doubt had his work cut out for him when he showed up for his first organized team activities (OTAs).
The 2025 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year is part of a crowded quarterback room along with Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco, former first-round pick Kenny Pickett, who Cleveland traded for earlier in the offseason, and Gabriel.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) watches quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) watches quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility.
Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Through a handful of practices, the Browns are beginning to piece together their quarterback puzzle for next season. And based on what he’s seen so far, ESPN analyst Daniel Oyefusi seems to believe that Sanders could be on the chopping block when the Browns start trimming down their roster during training camp.
“Getting drafted behind Gabriel adds an element of uncertainty to Sanders' rookie season,” Oyefusi stated. “While he was widely ranked ahead of the third-rounder before the draft, Sanders will likely begin training camp as the fourth QB on the depth chart and won't be guaranteed a roster spot.
“Cleveland did trade up to draft him, which should afford him more time to develop, but Sanders likely has a longer pathway to the field unless he completely outplays his competition.”
With Deshaun Watson sidelined for the entire 2025 season, it’s unlikely the Browns will dress four QBs during the season.
Most assume Flacco is the default starter and Pickett the backup, given their NFL experience, which likely means Sanders and Gabriel are battling for the No. 3 job. It’s not known if the Browns would outright cut the loser of that battle or look to trade them to another team and recoup some draft compensation.
Sanders turned heads during practice on Wednesday.
He performed the best out of the four passers during drills, completing 7 of 9 passes with three touchdowns. Sanders threw the most touchdowns and had the highest completion percentage of the four.
Though he wasn’t trending on social media on Thursday, Sanders still had an effective day, according to Oyefusi.
“Flacco operated the offense the best, pushed the ball downfield,” he wrote. “Sanders got the fewest reps but was efficient, especially in red zone drills. Also liked what I saw from Gabriel in RZ.”