New Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was always going to be under the microscope from the moment he was drafted until the end of his career. We saw that firsthand as there was much debate over if Sanders would keep the jersey number, No. 2, that he wore at Colorado and constantly conjure up memories among fans of the worst possible quarterback reminder, Johnny Manziel. Luckily, Sanders and the Browns are avoiding that.
The Browns announced their rookie jersey numbers for the 2025 incoming class and Sanders will wear No. 12. As Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team noted, wide receiver and return man DeAndre Carter already has the No. 2 jersey in Cleveland after signing this offseason. That certainly made the choice for Sanders' number. While his profile isn't that of a typical fifth-round pick, he is still only a fifth-round pick.
In the case of the Sanders-Manziel comparisons, though, that's something that the rookie should be keen on avoiding. Manziel obviously crashed and burned as brightly as any highly drafted and hyped quarterback prospect this century, much to the chagrin of Browns fans. That was predictable, to be sure. While Sanders doesn't have any close to the level of off-field concerns as Manziel, though, he is still a polarizing player and prospect. Having Manziel's number would've only added fuel to that.
However, Browns fans aren't out of the woods just yet when it comes to Sanders' number.
Shedeur Sanders stays away from dreaded No. 2 on Browns — for now
Final jersey numbers aren't decided until we go into Week 1 of the regular season with the 53-man roster finalized. While Carter has the No. 2 jersey now, he's also not a guarantee to make the final roster. He'll likely compete with Michael Woods II, David Bell and Diontae Johnson for two or three final spots at the bottom of the Browns wide receiver depth chart. That is to say, he could be cut, which would then make No. 2 available.
Should that come to fruition — and, point blank, should Sanders acquit himself well enough to make the 53-man roster as well — the former Colorado star would be wise to stick with No. 12 or, really, any number other than two.
Sanders was overhyped by the media in terms of his talent leading into the NFL Draft by most accounts. He was a second- or third-round talent billed as a first-round lock. However, he fell even further than that because of his antics in interviews and otherwise along with his high-profile, which could be a distraction to have on the team as a developmental backup. That all matters in this situation.
He can avoid adding to that perception of him as a distraction by avoiding the Manziel comparisons. It's obviously completely different scenarios as Sanders is still a good kid who might just be slightly misguided or lacking professionalism, whereas Manziel was a full-blown loose cannon. However, that wouldn't stop many Browns fans from still making those comparisons if both are ultimately labeled as "busts".
And that would be even easier to do if Sanders was wearing the same number that Manziel did in Cleveland.