Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam Shuts Down Speculations About Shedeur Sanders

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Eric Nacach | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 2:36 PM ET

The Cleveland Browns were the team that took a shot on the University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft, selecting him in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick.

Sanders, who played under his father, NFL legend Deion Sanders, completed 74% of his passes and threw for 4,134 yards with a 37:10 TD: INT ratio in his senior season.

After the 2024-25 college football season, Sanders was projected to be a first-round pick and the No. 2 QB off the board, but ended up falling several rounds on draft night and was eventually the 6th quarterback selected.

On Tuesday, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam clarified the decision surrounding Sanders' selection.

Speculation has circulated that the organization forced the Sanders pick in the draft, but Haslam quickly dismissed those claims, attributing the decision to GM Andrew Berry.

“We have a good process. We had a conversation early that morning and then we had a conversation later that day. I think we had the right people involved in the conversation," said Haslam. "And the end of the day, that’s Andrew Berry’s call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur.”

The Browns’ starting quarterback job remains undecided, with veteran Joe Flacco, 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett, 2025 third-round pick Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders all competing for the role.

According to NFL insider Albert Breer, the Browns would like to enter their preseason finale with their starter announced.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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