Shedeur Sanders was once considered one of the best prospects and quarterbacks in this year’s draft. However, he suffered a major draft slide and wasn’t picked until the Cleveland Browns selected him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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The Browns even drafted a quarterback two rounds earlier, selecting Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round. With Cleveland having a crowded quarterback room consisting of the two rookies, plus veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, it will be a long quarterback battle for the starting job.
As of now, Sanders is battling for a starting job that could be won by any of the four quarterbacks. Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the season or much of it with an Achilles injury.
As Sanders embarks on his NFL career, his father, Deion Sanders, has been one of his biggest supporters. He coached his son, Shedeur, all four years of his college football career and has continued supporting his son during the early stages of his NFL journey.
A recent example of Deion showing his support was in an Instagram post from a few days ago, where an image compared their rookie salaries.
Speaking to local reporters, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked what he was impressed with from Sanders. Prior to the NFL Draft, Stefanski told reporters that he was impressed by Sanders’ ability to see the game on and off the field.
Recently, with Sanders being a part of the team, Stefanski said he’s been impressed by his understanding of his role and what comes with his job.
“He’s been raised the right way, he’s got a great way about him,” Stefanski said. “Obviously, when you’re the son of a Hall-of-Famer, there’s a lot that goes with that. I think the benefits of that have been really impressive for him. I think you see a young man that understands what comes with this job, understands the work that goes into this job, so I’d say it’s been a very big positive.”
Sanders, being Deion’s son, had the advantage of growing up and being raised by a former multi-sport athlete who excelled professionally in the NFL and MLB.
Sanders will get a fair chance to compete for the starting quarterback job for the Browns. Stefanski did announce after the draft that it’s Joe Flacco’s job to lose and suggested he could be the team’s starter come Week 1. Still, a lot can happen from now until the start of the season.
