
Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders is the No. 3 quarterback on the team's depth chart. The Browns selected the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and all eyes were on when he would take his first snap with the Browns.
Despite being the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart, Sanders remains a highly talked-about player who is still heavily supported by Colorado and Cleveland fans. In an updated list of the top-selling NFL jerseys to start the season, the support Sanders has is evident.
When looking at the top five, Sanders is joined by elite company, despite not playing in a regular-season game. Among the top five are two reigning Super Bowl champions, as well as the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year and the MVP.
Although Sanders is No. 3 on the Browns’ depth chart, he still has the support of Colorado fans, and many are calling for his shot in the league. Sanders entered the draft process as a projected first-round pick. Despite the fall in the draft and on the roster, there is still a belief he should be playing this season.
Being among players coming off a stellar season without playing a regular-season snap shows that he is a high-profile player. While he may not see the field for a while, the support from him could help boost his NFL career as he continues to get better.
Sanders' preseason performance was up and down with the Browns. In his first start, he led the offense down the field for big drives, showing why he deserves a spot on the Browns’ roster. In the team’s third preseason game, after missing the second with an injury, Sanders took several sacks, which was his biggest issue with the Colorado Buffaloes.
Despite being low on the Browns’ depth charts, Colorado fans could still see Sanders take off in his NFL career. It is not unheard of for quarterbacks to have to sit before their time comes. Quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes and Jordan Love sat before starting and have established themselves as the team’s franchise players.
Sitting behind Joe Flacco, a quarterback who has won Super Bowl MVP, could be beneficial to Sanders. Only time will tell, but when given the chance, Sanders could be one of the quarterbacks to have a successful career after sitting behind a veteran.
Sanders joined the Colorado Buffaloes ahead of the 2023 season, after the program had been coming off a one-win year. Sanders helped bring life to the program, and in two years with the team, the Colorado Buffaloes had a winning record.
In 2024, Sanders completed 353 passes for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. He threw just 10 interceptions and finished with a 74.0 completion percentage. The issue was that he also took 42 sacks in 2024.
From 2023 to 2024, Sanders improved, and the team was more successful. If Sanders can take a step forward and work on avoiding the sacks, the former Colorado star could find himself as a starting NFL quarterback.
In addition to helping Colorado become a winning team, Sanders helped bring attention to the school. Games were being televised in prime time slots, and more fans were attending games. This brought revenue to Boulder, which will only help Colorado's football program continue to improve.
Teams could take a chance on Sanders not only from an on-field standpoint, but also from the profit he could bring. With not playing and still being in the top five most sold jerseys, if he were to start for a team, that number would only rise.
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