Before the NFL Draft in April, there was some debate among analysts and fans of who the No. 1 overall pick would be. Just about everyone knew the Tennessee Titans were in the market for a quarterback. Some analysts, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper, believed Shedeur Sanders was the best quarterback in the draft. Kiper ultimately had the Titans selecting Cam Ward out of Miami—which is what happened—and Sanders winding up ninth overall to the New Orleans Saints. Some mock drafts had Sanders going as high as No. 3 to the New York Giants.
Instead, the Giants chose Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick and used the 25th selection on Jaxson Dart, the former Ole Miss quarterback. Sanders tumbled all the way to the third day of the draft before the Cleveland Browns snatched him up in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick. There’s minimal risk with late-round picks, though the move was still a bit odd, as Sanders became the fifth quarterback on Cleveland’s roster.
Still, Sanders, who’s father is legendary Hall of Famer and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders, believed he could compete as a starting quarterback. Now, he’s getting his chance. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Sanders will be the starter against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. It will be the rookie’s first career start.
Jason Miller/Getty Images
Sanders is getting the nod over Dillon Gabriel, another rookie who’s been the team’s starting quarterback since Week 5. Gabriel suffered a concussion in the Week 11 loss against the Baltimore Ravens. There’s no set date on his return as he goes through the NFL concussion protocol.
After Gabriel went down, Sanders came in to finish the game. He completed his first two passes but looked overwhelmed as the Ravens’ defense swarmed Cleveland’s offensive line. Sanders finished 4-for-16 with 47 yards and an interception, and he was sacked twice. To add to the angst of last week, Sanders’s house was also robbed while the game was going on.
The Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999. Sanders is the 42nd different quarterback to start a game for the Browns in that timeframe.
Because he was a fifth-round draft pick, Sanders has a modest contract, especially for a quarterback. He signed a four-year rookie deal worth $4,647,380; the only guaranteed money in that contract is his signing bonus of $447,380, which he received before the season began. Sanders’s base salary in 2025 is $840,000—add that to his signing bonus, and he’ll earn $1,291,083 this year.
By comparison, Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, has a four-year deal worth about $48.7 million. Dart, the quarterback the Giants took instead of Sanders, has a four-year contract worth just under $17 million, including an $8.9 million signing bonus.
Although Sanders looked rough in his NFL debut, he hadn’t gotten a single rep with the first team. He’s had a full week to prepare now, so the Browns are hoping for an improvement. At the very least, maybe Sanders can string together a nice game or two to earn another contract and carve out a nice career as a backup. It’s worked for guys like Chase Daniel and Matt Flynn, and making millions while largely staying out of harm’s way on the sidelines isn’t a bad way to earn a living.
