Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns’ fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has been advised by a former NFL scout to join the CFL after one of the league’s franchises, the Toronto Argonauts, has added the former Colorado star to their negotiation list.
Former NFL Scout Claims Shedeur Sanders Needs CFL to Develop
Daniel Kelly, a former scout for the New York Jets, didn’t hold back in his assessment of Shedeur’s career trajectory.
In a detailed post on X, he argued that Shedeur’s time at Jackson State and Colorado did little to prepare him for the challenges of professional football.
As a former NFL Scout, my best advice to Shedeur Sanders is go to the CFL.
Why?
So he has a chance to mature and he has a chance to develop and to learn how to throw with anticipation, which is something he really struggled to do on his college game film. It’s his only chance… https://t.co/vl2h4QIDXb
— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) May 3, 2025
“As a former NFL Scout, my best advice to Shedeur Sanders is go to the CFL. Why? So he has a chance to mature and he has a chance to develop and to learn how to throw with anticipation, which is something he really struggled to do on his college game film. It’s his only chance since he’s too slow of a runner and he’s not a dual threat.” The scout advised.
While Shedeur put up impressive numbers, leading Jackson State to two Celebration Bowl appearances and boosting Colorado’s national relevance, those stats came against what the scout called “average to lower-level college competition.”
The scout believes this lack of elite competition left Shedeur ill-equipped for the NFL, particularly in significant areas like throwing with anticipation, a critical skill for any QB at the pro level.
The CFL, specifically the Toronto Argonauts, could be the perfect stepping stone, and an opportunity for Shedeur to face a slightly higher level of competition than he did in college, but not the overwhelming talent gap he’d encounter in the NFL.
It’s a “bridge move” that could help him mature, develop his skills, and learn to handle the pressures of professional football without the immediate scrutiny of the NFL spotlight, according to the scout’s point of view.
The scout’s critique goes way deeper in pointing to Shedeur fathers’ influence as a major factor in Shedeur’s stunted growth.
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“Shedeur should’ve taken one of those other scholarship offers coming out of high school —he never should’ve allowed his dad to shelter him from higher levels of competition. It didn’t help him in the long run. It stunted his growth. 247Sports comped him to Jacoby Brissett coming out of high school —he should’ve listened,” the scout writes.
“According to 247Sports, Shedeur had offers from Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida, and Oregon —he should’ve taken any of those opportunities. He needed to get away from his dad and he needed to grow up. He needed to learn who Shedeur was outside of Deion. He needed to be coached and not coddled,” he concluded.
The journey to NFL success is rarely a straight path. So, the football world will be watching closely. Either Shedeur will take the leap to the CFL, or he will stick it out in Cleveland and fight for his spot. Whatever he chooses, one thing is clear: the next few years will be crucial in defining his legacy.
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