Browns QB Shedeur Sanders stands between the Ravens and playoff survival, says RGIII

Robert Griffin III rarely drops commentary that neatly captures an entire NFL subplot, but his post Monday evening did exactly that.

The former Pro Bowl quarterback noted the peculiar symmetry surrounding Shedeur Sanders, a player who once declined to be drafted by Baltimore and now finds himself indirectly influencing the Ravens’ season.

Sanders, now with the Cleveland Browns, enters a Week 17 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers with consequences far beyond Cleveland’s record.

Baltimore sits at 7-8 after a 28-24 collapse against New England and no longer controls its postseason destiny. To stay alive, the Ravens must defeat Green Bay and also rely on Cleveland to knock off Pittsburgh.

Griffin framed the moment bluntly:
“Shedeur Sanders turned down the Ravens in the draft so he could have a clearer path to playing. Now, Shedeur Sanders has a chance to keep the Baltimore Ravens season alive."

That reality places Sanders in an unusual role. Cleveland is already eliminated at 3-12, while Pittsburgh can clinch the AFC North with a win.

Baltimore’s hopes hinge on a quarterback who once chose opportunity over patience and now stands at the center of a divisional equation he never intended to join.

Draft decisions, delayed opportunity, and an unexpected pivot point

Sanders’ path to this moment traces back to the 2025 NFL Draft. Baltimore was preparing to select him with the No. 141 pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Before the card was turned in, Sanders made it clear he did not want to sit behind Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP with no threat to his job. The Ravens pivoted to offensive lineman Carson Vinson, and Cleveland traded up three picks later to take Sanders at No. 144.

The move did not bring immediate opportunity. Sanders opened the season buried on the depth chart behind Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel. Early projections suggested he was unlikely to see the field at all.

Now, as Cleveland prepares to face a Steelers team missing DK Metcalf due to suspension, Sanders’ late-season emergence has turned a once theoretical draft decision into a tangible factor in the AFC North race. For Baltimore, survival depends on a quarterback who never wore its colors but may still decide its fate.

More NFL news:

• Harold Fannin sets Browns franchise record, celebrates with 6-7
• Booger McFarland weighs in on Lions' nose-picking celebrations
• The Packers had a chance to sign an all-time great for $5 million and passed
• Tua Tagovailoa's contract looks like a nightmare
• The guy who Saquon hurdled just had his own cool hurdle
• Travis Kelce has joined Jerry Rice in NFL history