The Shedeur Sanders Circus Is Just Warming Up

During the 2025 NFL Draft, most attention — on all three days — focused on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, mainly because of his family name and lofty draft stock.

Don’t expect rest from the Shedeur Sanders news circuit.

Shedeur’s father is Deion Sanders, a Hall of Famer who helped shape modern football. And before the draft, for approximately three months of build-up, Sanders was supposed to fly off the board in the Top 5 picks, if not Top 3.

He ultimately fell to Round 5 when the Cleveland Browns pounced, ending the three-day circus.

But that circus has only just begun.

Draft Slide Merely a Precursor

All things Shedeur Sanders per media focus are just getting started. The draft slide can be interpreted as an appetizer.

It was bizarre enough that 95% of the draft community mislabeled his draft placement from January through April. Now, Sanders will begin boots-on-the-ground activities in Cleveland. If the media laser-focused on his draft plunge, the attention for his career trajectory will match or exceed that charade.

Why would the powers that be — basically ESPN — reduce Shedeur coverage after the draft? They did it for a reason from April 24th to 26th, and the ratings chase will extend into the summer and regular season.

A Contender in a Stinky QB Room

The most fascinating part of the circus? The Browns’ crummy quarterback room.

These quarterbacks will vie for depth chart placement at training camp and in the preseason:

• Joe Flacco
• Kenny Pickett
• Dillon Gabriel
• Shedeur Sanders
• Deshaun Watson (IR)

Most teams would cringe at that fivesome, but it somehow will do the trick for the Browns. If NFL war rooms got Sanders’ scouting report wrong — let’s pretend he’s good and actually worthy of a Round 1 pick — the man should have no problem whatsoever boxing out Flacco, Pickett, and Gabriel for a QB1 job.

In fact, it should be easy if Sanders is any good. That quarterback unit is awful in NFL-speak.

Browns Already Have a Stigma

Before Baker Mayfield became a Brown — Cleveland got rid of him in 2022 in favor of Watson — the franchise was known for futility and gaffes.

That’s right. The quarterback with a bloodline name and boisterous entourage will join one of the NFL’s franchises most known for ineptitude. In Cleveland’s defense, it’s done a decent job in the last half-decade turning that reputation around — a bit — but Sanders is still employed by the team that has cycled through 39 starting quarterbacks since 2000.

Suppose Sanders flops, as his 5th-Round stock suggests, some will say, “Well, it’s the Browns.”

A Loud Father

A significant portion of the circus is caused by Shedeur’s father — Deion’s voice and reputation.

Deion won’t watch quietly as the Browns let Shedeur rot on the bench, or if he struggles, there’s a decent chance that he blames the Browns, as an organization. Remember? Well, it’s the Browns. Deion will use that mantra, too, if his kid doesn’t cook in Cleveland or if the Browns refuse to play him.

The Browns, foundationally, are an easy scapegoat, and Shedeur’s dad isn’t shy about calling out scapegoats. The mixture could be volatile.

Kevin Stefanski Hot Seat + Deion Sanders

Here’s another aspect to consider. The Browns are recovering from the Deshaun Watson era — that isn’t even financially over yet — and if they don’t resume winning ways and playoff appearances, head coach Kevin Stefanski could be on the hot seat. That’s how the sport works.

Stefanki has to win with Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, or Sanders, and if he does not, the Browns will find a new skipper.

It just so happens that Deion’s profession … is a head football coach. There will be voices that say, “Deion should coach the Browns because he can put a cape on his kid, like he did at Colorado.”

A 5th-Round Pick at the End of the Day

No matter what, Shedeur Sanders is simply a 5th-Round pick. He could be waived in 2.5 months amid roster trimdowns. That’s fair game for a late-rounder.

Based on how NFL scouting departments nominated Shedeur for 5th-Round draft stock, he should not be a long-term starting quarterback in the pros. Few from Round 5 make it to consistent QB1 duty.

Yet, due to Sanders’ name and once-fancy Top 5 draft pick reputation, the media won’t let him exist as an ordinary 5th-Rounder. A glimmer of hope will flicker for his ascension to QB1.

Draft Pundits Want to Be Right

Finally, a litany of big-name draft personalities totally fumbled the Sanders’ scouting report, at least per projecting when he’d be drafted.

Those men and women won’t want to be wrong, so they will habitually call for Sanders’ QB1 audition. They want to be right. They want to be vindicated.

The only way to do that is to toss Sanders on the field — to see what he’s got.

It’s a circus.