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Shedeur Sanders was the 144th election of the NFL draft when Cleveland Browns added him to their depth cards in the fifth round on Saturday afternoon.
The free fall lasted longer than expected, but Sanders finally found a home on the third day, starting the journey to become the team’s starting quarterback at some point during the 2025 season.
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Colorado Buffaloes Quarterback Shhedeur Sanders, #2, before the game against North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, August 29, 2024. (Ron Chenoy -usa Today Sports)
He wants to take part in a quarterback room that has Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and colleague -rookie Dillon Gabriel. Deshaun Watson’s status in 2025 is at best cloudy after the garden -poured Hans Achilles during the peak season. Watson suffered an Achilles tear last October.
Brown’s General Manager Andrew Berry revealed his expectations for every quarterback the team brought in during the high season.
“We expect each player to compete. Simple as that,” he said.
Brown’s main coach Kevin Stefanski was asked how to make sure each of the four healthy quarterbacks should get a fair shot.
“We’ve talked about it. I mean there are ways to do both, I think,” he said. “Obviously, you may not share them 25, 25, 25, but we really feel sure we also have a plan that is fair to each player and fair to the team.”
Browns acquired Pickett during the high season in a trade in Philadelphia Eagles. He served as a backup for Jalen Evil with Eagles and received a ring as the team won the Super Bowl over Kansas City Chiefs in February. He started earlier with Pittsburgh Steelers after the team chose him in the first round of the 2022 draft.
Cleveland brought back Flacco after going to the Indianapolis Colts in 2024. He took over for a wounded Watson in 2023 and helped lead Browns to the playoffs. Flacco won a Super Bowl with Baltimore Ravens in 2012.

Cleveland Brown’s Quarterback Deshaun Watson, No. 4, is driven off the field after being injured in the first half of a NFL football match against Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday 20 October 2024 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Sheesur Sanders Prank Call Controversite Gives forever Development
Browns chose Gabriel in the third round on Friday. He played his college ball at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon. Last year with the ducks he had 3,857 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes. He was the finalist of Heisman Trophy. He also has the FBS record for most Touchdown -Pass thrown in a career.
Berry explained why the team decided to take two quarterbacks in this year’s draft.
“I think, just as I could probably say, the plan was not needed to take two running backs. As if you are seeing for you how the draft could possibly play out, and then you really adapt to what’s on the board,” Berry said. And as I said, as we don’t really go into the draft and say okay, like ‘Hi, here’s our need and we just want to choose players as needs.’

National team Quarterback Dillon Gabriel from Oregon, #8, pauses after the exercise under the senior bowl’s practice for the national team at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, on January 28, 2025. (VASHA HUNT-PREPARED PICTURES)
“If you do, it’s typically how you make mistakes. So there’s a little bit of power for the weekend because the board takes different twists and turns when you go. Some expected, some unexpected and ultimately we try to do everything in our power to maximize the impact of the choices we have gathered. And part of the reason you have to do that is flexible.”
Sanders will have an uphill in an attempt to reach the starting job – and a list of space – when the season begins officially later in the year. However, it is far from impossible.
“I know I want to fit in perfectly,” he told journalists. “I want it to come in first, show respect for the veterinarians, show them that I’m ready to work. Show the coaches and make them understand, I’m ready to work. So they could actually understand the real me.

Cleveland Browns Quarterback Joe Flacco, #15, throws the ball at Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 17, 2023. (Scott Galvin-USA Today Sports)

Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Kenny Pickett calls a theater piece in the first half of a NFL football match against Dallas Cowboys Sunday 29 December 2024 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
“That’s what I’m really grateful to have is the opportunity for people to actually see the real me and not be able to see things that can be true or not. That’s what I’m most excited to be in the building and of course staff, cafeteria [staff]Everything was extreme, the people who were real. It was really cool. So I left that visit knowing that if it was the place for me, I would feel really comfortable with what they have in place. “