If you thought a Hall of Fame quarterback was involved in Shedeur Sanders' draft slide, then you're mistaken. Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who is a minority stakesholder of the Las Vegas Raiders, appeared on the "Impaulsive" podcast and revealed that he "wasn't a part of any evaluation process" during the NFL Draft.
Given how it was said that Brady would be involved in Las Vegas' search for a quarterback and the relationship between him and Sanders, Sanders seemed like a great fit for them. Even after they acquired Geno Smith and signed him to a two-year extension, his age (36 at the end of the contract) indicated that they could use a long-term solution. However, the Raiders didn't pull the trigger, and Brady seemingly had nothing to do with it.
Tom Brady says he wasn't involved in Raiders' Shedeur Sanders evaluation process
Looking to maximize their window to compete with Smith under center, Las Vegas went with offensive players with five of the six draft picks they had before Sanders was selected: a superstar running back (Ashton Jeanty), two linemen (Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant), and two receivers (Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr.). They eventually went quarterback, drafting Cam Miller out of North Dakota State in the sixth round, a selection that Brady reportedly liked.
Miller isn't half bad himself, even going head-to-head and holding his own against Sanders himself back in August. He ended the season throwing for 33 touchdowns, four less than Sanders, and for four interceptions, six less than Sanders (while Sanders threw 13 in two seasons at Colorado, Miller combined for 13 over his last three at North Dakota State). They're also the same age, and perhaps when teams consider his reportedly bad interviews and everything else that comes with the Sanders name (this event probably didn't help matters too), it's understandable why the Raiders waited till the end to draft someone who they felt was at least comparable to Sanders.
Now, Sanders is on the Cleveland Browns after getting selected 144th overall. The thing is, he's now in a crowded quarterback room also consisting of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel, the latter of whom was drafted in the third round way ahead of Sanders.
Regardless, it's clear Brady wants to distance himself from that decision. In fact, with him telling Sanders to "use it as motivation" in regards to his draft slide, he might want Shedeur to ball out, which will in turn prove the Raiders made the wrong decision.