The Cleveland Browns made Shedeur Sanders the 144th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It was a stunning slide for the Colorado product, once projected as the No. 1 overall pick and a potential franchise quarterback.
Cleveland presents Sanders with an uphill battle to earn his spot in the league. He is effectively QB5 behind a trio of established veterans in Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson, as well as fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted two rounds earlier.
While Sanders' immense talent was worth the swing, Cleveland incurred quite the headache. Sanders is a lightning rod for media coverage and fan speculation, often for reasons outside his control. Now he's creating distractions off the field, reportedly receiving two speeding tickets in a one-month span — including going 101 MPH in a 55 MPH zone.
Powerful: Shedeur Sanders speaks about the speeding violation he had on Tuesday:
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 20, 2025
"I'm just a little boy... I've made some wrong choices, I can own up to it—I learn from them."
Sanders is just 23 years old and will learn from his mistakes.
The Browns drafted a future… pic.twitter.com/2Uo4V4X5eJ
Reckless driving is, well, reckless, and it's not a distraction the Browns need from their fifth-string quarterback. This isn't meant to be an indictment on Sanders the person, and there's a real chance he outperforms his draft slot and hangs on at the professional level. Still, with all that has gone on since Sanders' draft slide, these teams probably feel good about passing on him despite needs at quarterback.
3. New York Jets
The New York Jets moved on from Aaron Rodgers this offseason, turning to 26-year-old Justin Fields in free agency. There is real optimism around Fields in East Rutherford. He has been propped up as the unquestioned Week 1 starter, offering New York a unique dual-threat ability that stands in stark contrast to 41-year-old Rodgers' immobility.
That said, folks thought the Jets might draft a quarterback, too. Just in case. Fields is only signed for two years and he has yet to stand out as a clear-cut franchise player in his previous spots. The tape in Chicago was a mixed bag at best. He looked better in Pittsburgh, but not enough for the Steelers to keep him on the field once 36-year-old Russell Wilson was up to speed.
Nabbing Sanders, whom many still view as a first round talent, in the third or fourth (or even fifth) round would have been viewed as a totally sensible investment in the moment. But think for a moment about the media circus that has followed the Jets for years, especially after Rodgers' arrival. Sanders would have created a distraction behind Fields and put far more pressure on a new quarterback (and a new coach) than is necessary.
The Jets just need to feel like a normal football team for a year. Sanders would have jeopardized their ability to achieve that bechmark.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
The Browns traded up to select Sanders in the fifth round, reportedly because the reigning champs were prepared to pick Sanders as Jalen Hurts' backup. Howie Roseman is the master of finding value in the NFL Draft. Sanders in the fifth round was a great value on the surface, regardless of need.
With Kenny Pickett in Cleveland, ironically, the Philadelphia Eagles' backup QB situation isn't really settled. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is fun on paper, but he has yet to translate his electric athleticism into effective quarterback play in the NFL.
That said, the Eagles just won the Super Bowl. That locker room has struck a careful balance between established vets and elite up-and-coming talent. Hurts, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, has earned his stripes. He is locked up on a long-term contract and there's no reason to believe he will decline in the near future.
Drafting a guaranteed distraction like Sanders would yield... diminishing returns. Even if it's good value in a vacuum, he won't make life easier on Hurts. And, more importantly, the Eagles don't really need him. If Hurts misses extended time, that's a huge problem — whether it's Sanders, DTR, or a mystery third quarterback slated to take snaps in his place. Backup quarterbacks are valuable to a point, but without a clear path to starting before his first NFL contract expires, Sanders would have been too noisy an addition for a team that needs to focus on repeating as champs.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers were the team most consistently linked to Sanders throughout the pre-draft process. Many thought he might go 21st overall to Pittsburgh in the first round. When the Steelers then passed on Sanders in the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds, folks were genuinely surprised.
And yet, even with such a glaring need for long-term quarterback stability in Pittsburgh, one can't help but feel like the Steelers made the smart call. Sanders would be backing up Aaron Rodgers right now. That was always going to be the case. That is just too much personality and media fodder in a single QB room, and we know Rodgers can bristle against expectations for his understudy.
Mike Tomlin runs a tight ship. He teams always win games, without fail, and that probably won't change with Rodgers at the commands. But culture is also important, and Pittsburgh's locker room has experienced its share of tension in recent years. From George Pickens to the now-infamous Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith feud, the Steelers really need to get back their no-nonsense, football-over-everything roots. Rodgers probably won't help in that regard, but putting Sanders behind Rodgers and inviting the wrath of every mainstream talk show for the next eight months definitely wouldn't have helped.
Will Howard has less upside than Sanders, no doubt, but Pittsburgh's sixth-round pick is an NCAA champ with zero rookie expectations. He can develop slowly in the shadows, and Pittsburgh still has the flexibility to pivot and draft a quarterback in the first round next spring. As such, passing on Sanders feels like a wise decision in retrospect.