The Cleveland Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in April, marking one of the most surprising slides in recent memory. His unexpected drop stunned many observers. Former Rams legend Eric Dickerson later revealed that the NFL intentionally made an example out of Sanders during the draft.
“The NFL told teams, ‘Do not draft him. We’re gonna make an example out of him,’” Dickerson said. “This came from a very good source. A very good source. And he said somebody called the Cleveland Browns and said, ‘Don’t do that. Don’t draft him.’”
Despite the negativity surrounding him before, during, and after the draft, Sanders has made a positive impact off the field. Throughout the summer, he’s been deeply involved in the Cleveland community—something uncommon for a rookie.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never seen what Shedeur Sanders is doing this early on in a player’s career,” Cecil Shorts said on Cleveland’s 92.3 The Fan. “I’ve never seen that before, I’ve never seen a rookie come into the league and before he even played a snap is already in the Garden Valley Projects … All the things he’s doing (in the community). It’s a special thing he’s doing, that’s not normal.”
However, Sanders could still be the odd man out if the Browns choose to go in a different direction.
“The rookie that they would probably get rid of would be the one they took in the 5th round,” CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco wrote.
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There’s been ongoing confusion about how the Browns have handled Sanders during training camp. Many believe that releasing him could negatively affect the organization.
“It would be the most demoralizing thing. The season...it would be shot before it even started. A lot of fans have invested a lot of time, a lot of energy,” 92.3 The Fan’s Jonathan Peterlin wrote.
Fans have bought into Sanders’ future, and parting ways with him could create distrust between the team and its supporters. While Sanders has shown potential, it's uncertain if the Browns will give him the opportunity to reach it in Cleveland. With roster cuts looming, Sanders’ status remains one to closely watch.