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Browns Owner Reveals Who Made 'Final' Call On Shedeur Sanders

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 5:48 PM ET

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam addressed the team's decision to draft Shedeur Sanders.

A day after selecting Dillon Gabriel in the third round, the Browns doubled up on quarterbacks by taking Sanders at pick 144. They ended the former Colorado star's precipitous draft plunge despite already acquiring Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

On Tuesday, Haslam disputed speculation that he pushed Browns general manager Andrew Berry to draft Sanders.

"If you would've told me ... Friday night driving home, y'all are going to pick Shedeur, I would have said, 'That's not happening.' But we had a conversation early that (Saturday) morning, and then we had a conversation later that day," Haslam said, per Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. "I think we had the right people involved in the conversation. And the end of the day, that's Andrew Berry's call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur."

Meanwhile, Haslam said it's up to head coach Kevin Stefanski to decide who starts under center for Cleveland.

It wouldn't have surprised too many people if the Browns drafted Sanders earlier, but they appeared to convey a lack of interest by passing on him for Gabriel and five other picks. Berry explained at the time that he thought the value was too good to leave Sanders on the board.

"We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position," Berry said in April. "We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft. Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it's a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot."

Haslam took responsibility for acquiring Deshaun Watson and signing him to an unprecedented fully guaranteed extension. There's far less at stake for Sanders as a Day 3 draft choice.

Regardless of the process, Sanders is now a candidate to end Cleveland's notorious revolving door of signal-callers. The Browns have started eight different quarterbacks in the last three seasons since abandoning Baker Mayfield for Watson.

Perhaps Haslam will want the credit if Sanders reminds everyone why he entered the offseason as an early first-round candidate.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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