Why Shedeur Sanders turned down Baltimore Ravens before Cleveland Browns drafted him

The Baltimore Ravens were planning on taking Shedeur Sanders off the board during the fifth round of the NFL Draft, but the star Colorado quarterback had other plans.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Ravens were getting ready to take Sanders off the board with the No. 141 overall pick. But before the Ravens could turn in the card with his name on it, Sanders informed the team that he had no interest being on the roster with Lamar Jackson because he would not have a chance to play anytime soon.

Sanders understood that Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, is not in jeopardy of losing his job and had no interest in being a backup quarterback in Baltimore. That message was relayed to the Ravens who decided to use their fifth-round draft pick on offensive lineman Carson Vinson instead.

Three picks later, the Cleveland Browns traded up to the No. 144 overall slot and selected Sanders, putting an end to the most dramatic slide in the history of the NFL Draft.

Sanders is currently the third quarterback on Cleveland’s depth chart behind starter Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel, who the Browns drafted in the third round, 50 slots ahead of Sanders. 

Sanders exploded onto the scene during his preseason debut with the Browns in their first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers where he threw two touchdown passes. He missed Cleveland’s second preseason game due to an oblique injury before struggling to stay upright in the finale against the Los Angeles Rams. 

Browns quarterback coach Billy Musgrave confirmed to reporters this week that Sanders – along with Gabriel and practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe – was getting time running scout team drills in practice. 

The Browns releasing quarterback Tyler Huntley and trading Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders made Sanders a roster lock. But Flacco and Gabriel still stand in his way of starting an actual game for the Browns any time soon.

Before Week 1, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that it is unlikely that Sanders starts a regular season game for the Browns this season. Before this report, during training camp, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said that Cleveland’s coaching staff knows that it’s important to evaluate both of their rookies this season. It would take an injury or benching of both Flacco and Gabriel to get Sanders on the field during a regular season game this season.

This week, Sanders will remain Cleveland’s emergency third quarterback in Baltimore on Sunday. He could have found a home in this stadium, but ultimately landed with the Browns, where perhaps he viewed a better path to get on the field sooner than later because of a quarterback situation that has been unsettled since the team returned in 1999.

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