Shedeur Sanders and the ghost of Tom Brady

Shedeur Sanders, the University of Colorado quarterback and son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, had to wait until Round 5 before finally hearing his name called. “The Cleveland Browns select Shedeur Sanders, quarterback,” came the call that made it official.

The moment was especially surprising because Cleveland had already taken another quarterback earlier in the draft – Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon. That decision deepens an already crowded quarterback room featuring Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, and now both Gabriel and Sanders.

For Sanders, the path forward may not be easy – but he’s walking one that Tom Brady knows well.

Brady, who famously fell to the sixth round before landing with the New England Patriots, was passed over 198 times before becoming the winningest quarterback in league history. Sanders sees Brady as a mentor – and has chosen to wear the No. 12 jersey in Cleveland in honor of him.

Brady’s advice? Less time behind the wheel, more time behind the screen. After a viral moment where Deion Sanders asked Brady whether it was normal for college players to drive luxury cars like Rolls Royces, the seven-time Super Bowl champion didn’t mince words: “I think he needs to get his ass in the film room and spend as much time in there as possible, and less time in the car.”

There’s work to do.

Sanders was sacked 94 times over his final two college seasons – a glaring stat that scouts flagged throughout the pre-draft process. Questions about decision-making and pocket awareness persist. Still, the talent is evident, and now the rookie joins a franchise hungry for quarterback depth and long-term answers.

Cleveland may not have been the dream destination, but the dream remains. Sanders says he’s ready to fight for a role and prove the league wrong. Brady did it. Now the Browns’ newest quarterback wants to follow that exact playbook.

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