In 2018, Deion Sanders famously criticized the Browns as a poor place for a quarterback prospect to land. This assessment came before Baker Mayfield‘s inconsistent tenure, one that ended soon after the Deshaun Watson trade, but the cornerback legend/future college HC was not exactly off-base when it came to quarterbacks in Cleveland — at least, the second incarnation of the Browns.
Deion, of course, now has a vested interest in Browns QB development after seeing his son’s historic draft slide ended when Cleveland traded up to No. 144. Shedeur Sanders‘ three-day fall overshadowed this year’s draft, and Deion’s presence was viewed as an accelerant to his son’s tumble. Deion Sanders had said well before the draft “certain cities” would not work as his son’s landing spot. When it became clear the NFL had a much lower view of Shedeur’s prospect value, the Sanderses’ pre-draft game plan looks to have been a misplay.
[RELATED: Joe Flacco Could Be Browns’ Odd Man Out In QB Room?]
Regarding Deion’s involvement, however, Browns GM Andrew Berry said it did not play a significant role in the organization’s evaluation of his son.
“I felt like our personal relationship and interactions with Deion, that’s really been all positive from our perspective, and I mean that organizationally, not just me and Kevin (Stefanski),” Berry said, via SI.com’s Charlie Viehl. “But really, all of us who have interacted with Deion and the people out in Colorado. We don’t typically penalize prospects for their parents, so to speak. So I can’t say if that was a factor or not for other teams. But that was not a significant factor for us.”
While Deion Sanders has repeatedly shot down rumors about potentially moving up to the NFL as a coach, he admitted he spoke with Jerry Jones about the Cowboys’ offseason HC vacancy. Rumblings about coaching staffs’ potential leeriness regarding the elder Sanders being a threat to coach his son down the road surfaced as a potential contributor to the draft slide, as some of the teams with QB vacancies feature head coaches on hot seats. Deion signed a Colorado extension this offseason, but the buyout numbers would not impede an NFL team beyond this year. Shedeur’s pre-draft interviews, however, remain the most notable catalyst for his slip from potential top-five pick to fifth-rounder.
We have heard a few post-draft accounts about teams’ dissatisfaction with Sanders’ interviews. His Brian Daboll Combine meeting is not believed to have gone smoothly, and an encounter with an anonymous team concluded with the QB saying he and that team were not a good match. Sanders is being criticized for overplaying his hand, operating like a top-tier prospect — as his father was 36 years ago — while not having the skillset to justify it.
Sanders only met with teams holding a top-seven draft choice at the Combine, and Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna indicates the Colorado QB turned one of those meetings into his own evaluation of the franchise. Sanders asked team brass about its plan to support him. Had Cam Ward made posed such a question, that would have made a bit more sense due to the momentum the Miami QB had built. But Sanders is believed to have asked it after faring poorly when discussing that team’s playbook, McKenna adds. This may well have been part of a “sandbagging” effort, as CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones noted the accomplished college QB is believed to have attempted to purposely come off as unimpressive to teams he did not view as desirable destinations.
Understandably, that perceived effort did not go over well with teams, Jones adds. Multiple clubs are believed to have removed Sanders from their draft boards, with a report indicating Deion’s involvement “didn’t help” as teams evaluated his son. An unspectacular pro day, and Deion making the decision to retire his son’s Colorado number despite seemingly insufficient qualifications also may have influenced teams’ decisions once the draft wore on, per Jones.
The Browns effectively admitted they were not especially high on the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year by choosing Dillon Gabriel 94th overall. He and Sanders will now coexist on a team that added Kenny Pickett and reacquired Joe Flacco before the draft.
As Deion Sanders assessments of the Browns will undoubtedly surface once his son begins competing for the starting job, the Browns having acquired a first-round pick — via their three-spot trade-down with a Jaguars team that acquired three-year Sanders teammate Travis Hunter — keeps the door open for Cleveland to make a move for a passer in 2026. A year out, that class is viewed as superior to 2025’s crop.
For now, the Browns — as they transition from a still-rostered Watson — will give all four of their passers a chance to win the QB1 gig. PFR readers view Flacco as the runaway lead candidate to make the most QB starts for the team this season, but Sanders’ path will certainly generate the most interest — regardless of what position on the depth chart he secures.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiight
Deion is a major reason why S Sanders also slid. No team wants him as a distraction year round. ‘ Play my son! He’s better than the other QB’s!!’ to the media 24/7.
I am way beyond tired of anything and everything Sanders. Just go to camp and let’s see if he can earn a roster spot.
Meanwhile, I will continue to root for Gabriel.
I can’t wait to see Sanders fall on his face and be out of the NFL in a couple years.
The kid has issues.
Daddy issues.
Conversely Sanders did factor the Browns on his kids slide
It’s amazing to me that the Browns spent 3 of their 2025 draft picks on QBs
3rd for Gabriel
5th for Sanders
5th for Pickett
And it’s conceivable that one of them will not be on the final roster. Just a total waste of draft capital
Don’t forget that they drafted 2 RB’s as well.
It’s conceivable none of them will be on the roster at the end of the year. Likely in fact
The fact that the FO felt the need to make that statement tells me: liar liar pants on fire
I thought the same. What are they gonna say now that Sanders is on the roster? “Yeah, his dad is annoying and all, but it just got to the point where it was even worth putting up with the dad to get the son.”
Kenny Pickett will be the starter. Flacco is merely a backup. Gabriel will be QB 3 and Sanders 4
I fully expect the Browns to roster all 4, as the QB position has been hit hard with injuries and poor performance over the last 3 years.
I do believe Sanders has a shot at some point, as he’s a good fit for Stefanski’s offense, but so is Gabriel and Pickett … this will be a fun season 👍🏼
Aside from Winston, Pickett is the worst QB on that roster. If you want the best chance to win, you have to start Flacco. If you want to see what you drafted, you go Sanders and Gabriel. You only go Pickett if you’re tanking for the top pick in the draft.
There is a lot of racism and there are many people who have insightful commentary to offer on it.
And then there are people who claim racism in every single thing they see no matter what and become clowns.
I’ve never seen anything make it quicker or easier to distinguish between the former and the latter than the Shedeur Sanders slide. Quite useful, actually.
Cool, another Shedeur Sanders column!
😂
Ive sort of enjoyed watching Flacco have a bit of a resurgence as of late and maybe stupidly assume he will break camp as qb1 ? but invariably he will have to deal with some sort of injury so that qb2 role seemingly is the focal point …will be interesting to see who (DG or SS) ends up w that role …is that RT spot a weakness w DG being left handed ?