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9 hours ago
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Shedeur Sanders could have easily been one of the first names taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. Instead, he was selected in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns—just a day after the team had already taken a quarterback. That move now brings the total to five quarterbacks on the Browns’ current roster.
Leading up to the draft, it gradually became clear that Sanders might fall out of the first round. That marked the beginning of a confusing weekend for the former Colorado QB. Stephen A. Smith believes his slide had something to do with his father.
“NFL teams don't want to deal with Shedeur Sanders because of his dad's influence and they 'can't admit it,’” Smith said. “[Shedeur's] not gonna just take instructions ... he's going to challenge your football intellect.”
Smith made it clear he believes Deion Sanders was trying to be too involved, which contributed to the fall. However, Mel Kiper Jr. called that narrative unfounded.
“I think it's disgusting. I don't understand what the heck's going on with this... I don't see, outside of [not having] the rocket arm, 4.6 speed, [6'3", 230-pound frame], what is [Shedeur Sanders] lacking? Somebody's gonna have to explain that one to me,” Kiper said.
The New York Giants were reportedly high on Sanders, but a poor interview led head coach Brian Daboll to call him out—and Sanders didn’t respond well to the criticism. Those interviews are now believed to be a major reason for his dramatic slide from the first round to the fifth.
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Had the Giants selected him with the third overall pick, his rookie contract would have been worth $45 million. Now, as a fifth-rounder, it stands at just $4 million. That’s a $41 million difference. Still, Sanders isn’t overly concerned—he just wants to get on the field and go to work. Nevertheless, losing out on that kind of money is devastating, no matter the reason.
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