After experiencing what is considered to be the biggest fall in the history of the NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders finds himself shouldering an immense amount of pressure heading into his first season as a professional. Now that he has nothing to lose and everything to prove, the Colorado product will simply have to make the most of the hand that he has been dealt.
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Thankfully, he has the greatest quarterback in NFL history in his corner. During a recent discussion on the Impaulsive podcast, Tom Brady detailed what he believes the former Buffalo needs to do in order to take full advantage of the opportunity that the Cleveland Browns have given him.
According to the future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Sanders will be just fine so long as he adheres to three simple principles, with the first two mandating him to show up everyday and be the leader that the team needs him to be.
“He’s got to show up everyday. As a quarterback, you have to be a leader. To be a leader is, do I care about my teammates and do I care about what we’re trying to accomplish? That’s rules one and two.”
While attendance and leadership seem like baseline requirements, it pays to be consistent, both figuratively and literally. Simply put, Sanders will have to put the work and time into becoming the top QB prospect that many still believe him to be.
As for Brady’s third rule to success for quarterbacks, it’s all about knowing how to appeal to and inspire confidence in the various people throughout a team’s organization.
“You’re not just appealing to your 22-year-old rookie, you’re appealing to the 32 year old veteran… to the coach who’s trying not to get fired… the owner who has made an investment in you… the staff, their lives are riding on the fact that you need to perform well. The only thing that mattered to me over time was my teammates. Did they feel like I gave them the best chance to win.”
According to Sanders, however, he’s already on the path to NFL superstardom. During a recent interview at Cleveland’s minicamp, the 23-year-old signal caller was asked about the advice that he’s received from Brady following his unprecedented slide in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In referencing the time in which Brady himself slid in the draft, Sanders boldly stated that “My story is going to be similar.” Sanders suggested that he’s already internalized the aforementioned talking points of Brady, showing nothing but confidence and gratitude throughout the interview.
“I was a late-round draft pick. But we’re here now, so none of that stuff matters. It just mattered on the (draft) day. I’m just excited to be here and ready to work.”
Considering that Brady has a longstanding relationship with both Sanders and his Hall of Fame father, Deion, it’s likely that the rookie already has a firm understanding of these concepts. Now that he’s officially a part of an active NFL roster, the only thing left for him to do is prove so.
Given the amount of talent that’s featured throughout his support cast, it’s safe to say that fans shouldn’t be willing to write Sanders off just yet.
