Shedeur Sanders has finally chosen his jersey number for the Cleveland Browns, and it’s not the No. 2 he wore at Colorado. It’s actually No. 12. With this notable change, the former Colorado phenom will now wear the same number Tom Brady wore during his playing days — which, if you hadn’t guessed already, led some fans to believe Shedeur’s trying to emulate his former mentor.
Advertisement
It’s not a crazy assumption. Why else would Shedeur choose 12 as his new number?
Brady has been open about his mentorship for Sanders and how he’s been a resource for him to call when he needs. What better way to pay tribute to your mentor than by wearing the number he used to wear when he played?
Additionally, No. 12 has historically been reserved for some of the quarterback greats. Of course, there’s Brady, but also Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, and Terry Bradshaw. Maybe Shedeur thinks he’s the next No. 12 in line to join that group.
Fans online clearly thought that’s what Sanders was aiming for. They made fun of him for trying to capture the same legendary quarterbacking magic through his number choice.
“SHEDEUR TRYNA BE BRADY,” one person wrote while laughing. “Buddy really thinks he’s Tom Brady,” another commented.
SHADUER TRYNA BE BRADY
— Alex Jones (@jonesalex91) May 6, 2025
One fan, however, expressed full confidence in Shedeur and believes he’ll be the next great quarterback to wear No. 12.
“Shedeur is going to be a mix of all the 12’s for the last feel years… Brady, Rodgers and Luck. He’s going to be special,” they stated.
But the overall vibe of the comment section was mostly jokes. None better than the one below. “How soon til the Browns retire #12?” a netizen quipped.
How soon til the Browns retire #12?
— Cujo Knows (@cujoknows) May 6, 2025
So, why did Shedeur actually choose No. 12 over the No. 2 he wore at Colorado? Is he trying to emulate his former mentor? Is Shedeur really that confident — or just cocky?
Well, we hate to be the party pooper, but there’s actually a completely different reason. Shedeur didn’t even have the chance to choose No. 2 because DeAndre Carter snagged it before he even arrived. The Browns signed the wide receiver as a free agent, and he’s wearing the number for the first time in his career. Talk about bad timing for Shedeur!
Still, that doesn’t mean Sanders had to choose No. 12. He could’ve gone with No. 14, No. 23, or even No. 24. He had to have known that choosing 12 would stir up criticism.
However, Deion Sanders wore No. 21 during his playing days. Maybe Shedeur is rotating his dad’s number with a twist. Or maybe, as the fans suggest, he’s paying tribute to Brady. We won’t know for sure until Shedeur himself explains the choice. For now, all we can do is speculate.
