The Cleveland Browns are never far from one of the dumbest stories in the sport, although this time they aren’t to blame.
The Browns ended the fall of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in Round 5, but not before the passer endured one of the most famous slides in NFL history. Fans and analysts expecting him to come off the board in Round 1 watched him fall into and out of Day 2, all while similar (and in Cleveland’s case, lesser) quarterback prospects heard their names called.
His plummet was shocking, and one fan is claiming it was harmful. Shortly after the draft, they filed a lawsuit against the NFL, aiming to seek monetary damages for the mental anguish experienced during Sanders’ rough weekend.
It’s as ridiculous as it sounds, and its story isn’t over just yet. On Tuesday, Browns fans got an update on the ridiculous Sanders lawsuit. The “John Doe” is pushing for early discovery.
According to USA Today's Ayrton Ostly, the plaintiff is hoping to uncover plenty of juicy material. In all likelihood, none of it will see the light of day. Ostly wrote the following:
"The filing is requesting specific documents including:
- Internal communications (emails, text messages and memos) between NFL executives, league officials, team general managers, representatives, scouts and owners relating to Sanders from Jan. 1, 2024 through May 1, 2025;
- Scouting reports, internal assessments, draft boards and interview notes used by NFL teams when evaluating quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft;
- Audio or video recordings to team meetings, draft room communications, or NFL combine sessions involving Sanders;
- Communications with third-party media outlets regarding public portrayal and narrative of Sanders prior to the NFL Draft;
- All documents related to the NFL's investigation into the prank call placed to Sanders;
- Results or report of the inquiry into why Sanders' personal phone number provided to the NFL was released to waiver wires;
- The 61-page arbitration report that found evidence of collusion against black quarterbacks.
"The filing states that this is urgent and essential because 'the actions at issue have caused irreparable harm not only to Sanders' but also to the plaintiff and 'fans who reasonably expect fairness, integrity, and nondiscrimination.'"
Adding insult to injury during Sanders’ tumble was a prank call that should not have been possible. The Atlanta Falcons and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulrbich, whose son made the call, were punished for the incident.
Sanders deserves at least some of the blame, as he seemingly mismanaged part of the pre-draft process that took him from Round 1 to the middle of Day 3. But it’s utter nonsense to suggest that the league colluded to humble him.
Don’t expect this lawsuit to last very long, even if a successful discovery would provide plenty of offseason content.
More must-reads: