Shedeur Sanders entered the league as one of the most talked-about quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. He eventually heard his name called by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, but reports now suggest that he could have been wearing a different uniform.
According to ESPN, the Baltimore Ravens were preparing to draft Sanders before being told by his camp that he did not want to join the franchise. The reason for the hesitation reportedly centered on Baltimore’s quarterback situation.
With Lamar Jackson as the starter and no clear path to immediate playing time, Sanders allegedly preferred to land elsewhere. The rookie was asked about the report during Week 2, but he avoided giving a direct response.
Instead, he emphasized that his focus is on the present moment and what lies ahead for him in Cleveland.
“My response is I’m focused on the now,” Sanders said. “I don’t really talk about anything in the past and whatever happened in the past, it is what it is. I’m more focused on now. I’m more focused on how this game that we just gone and had and figuring out how to move forward from now.”
Shedeur Sanders responds to the pregame report that he asked the Ravens not to draft him:
“My response is I’m focused on the now. I don’t really talk about anything in the past and whatever happened in the past, it is what it is. I’m more focused on now. I’m more focused on how… pic.twitter.com/He2uTDLkIl
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 14, 2025
For now, Sanders sits third on the Browns’ depth chart behind veteran Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. He was inactive for the team’s loss to the Ravens, a game that only brought more attention to the draft-day storyline.
Sanders’ draft slide remains one of the biggest surprises from April. At Colorado, he put up numbers that positioned him as a potential first-round pick. Many analysts believed his skillset could translate quickly to the professional level.
Instead, he waited through four full rounds before hearing his name, a fall that raised eyebrows across the football world.
Adam Schefter Broke the Shedeur Sanders-Ravens News
Hours before the Browns-Ravens matchup yesterday, ESPN insider Adam Schefter revealed that the Ravens were eyeing Sanders in the draft. Schefter also revealed why the youngest son of NFL legend Deion Sanders made that decision.
“Sanders knew that Jackson, a two-time MVP and one of the top players in the league, was not going to be losing his job as Baltimore’s starting quarterback anytime soon,” Schefter wrote.
“So, the message was conveyed to the Ravens that Sanders did not want to be drafted by Baltimore and preferred to end up in a place where he might have a better chance to play sooner.”
The Ravens ended up drafting Carson Vinson as their 141st pick in the draft. In theory, Sanders’ plan made sense, but the reality is that he’s still not getting play time in Cleveland because he’s their third option.
During Sunday’s 41-17 loss against the Ravens, fans on social media demanded to see Sanders on the field, but it didn’t have any impact on the team’s rotation.
Read More:
