After a painful NFL draft weekend, Shedeur Sanders can still write his own book
Shedeur Sanders Learns the Hard Way—But He’s Still in Control
Everything unfolded in plain sight for Shedeur Sanders. Not behind closed doors, not filtered through whispers—this was public, and uncomfortably personal.
What many expected to be a night of triumph slowly unraveled into a weekend of delays and uncertainty. There were jokes spreading online, some intentionally cruel. There was a silence that lasted far too long between picks. Not hours. Days. It wasn’t just a small slip in projections. It was a full recalibration of expectations, done in real time, in front of everyone.
This is how it sometimes goes in the NFL. It isn’t always neat. It isn’t always fair. And dwelling on the why rarely changes the what.
What stands out, though, is that Sanders never lashed out. No blame. No anger. Just a kind of patient clarity.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity,” he said after being chosen 144th overall by the Cleveland Browns. The contrast between Saturday’s quiet announcement and Thursday night’s absent spotlight didn’t seem to faze him. “I don’t ever focus on the negative or even think about the negative…”
“What fuels me is my purpose in life,” he continued. “Knowing that we’re still on the path, even if the road looks different than expected.”
Expectations Can Work Against You
Reports suggested his draft slide wasn’t about talent alone. Some decision-makers were allegedly put off by how he spoke during interviews—too confident, too polished, maybe too controlled. It’s hard to say. Nothing was confirmed. But perceptions do matter, fair or not.
Still, Sanders is now a professional quarterback, and that’s what counts. He has the same field in front of him as anyone else. Whether picked third or 144th, once the pads go on, it’s the same game.
He’s entering a QB room that includes Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. The latter’s age—well into his 40s—became a punchline when Deion Sanders joked, “Flacco’s my age,” in a clip that made the rounds.
Also in the mix is Dillon Gabriel, a fellow draftee the Browns selected earlier—at No. 94. Drafting two quarterbacks within 50 picks? That sends a message, though it’s not entirely clear what that message is. Maybe they just weren’t sure. Maybe they’re hedging. In any case, the job isn’t assigned yet. It’ll go to the one who earns it.
Why the Gap Between Perception and Reality?
There’s no singular reason why Sanders dropped. He was solid at Colorado but not dominant. Took more sacks than ideal. Doesn’t have the raw athleticism of his father—Deion Sanders was a rare kind of elite.
There were also whispers: poor interview impressions, uncertainty around how he’d adapt to a new system, and that ever-present question about working exclusively under his dad’s leadership. Add in a few skipped opportunities—like the Senior Bowl—and you start to see how doubt accumulates. Not necessarily justified. But enough to tip decisions.
A Moment That Could’ve Gone Very Wrong
Then there was the prank. Not funny. Not in the slightest.
Jax Ulbrich, son of Atlanta’s defensive coordinator, pretended to be from the New Orleans Saints and told Sanders he was about to be drafted—then cruelly reversed course with, “You’re going to have to wait a little bit longer, man.” The moment, caught on video, went viral. Ulbrich later apologized.
Sanders? He responded with composure. “It didn’t really have an impact on me,” he said. “Everybody does childish things here or there.” You’d hope that’s true. But still—moments like that linger.
It’s difficult to believe it didn’t sting, even just a little. You’ve waited your whole life for a dream to come true, and someone chooses that moment to play games with it. Even if you shake it off, it leaves a mark.
The Real Work Starts Now
This wasn’t the grand entrance Sanders imagined. At his draft party, the pillows read “Legendary”. The setup suggested certainty. What followed was the opposite. But the title still belongs to the one who lives up to it, not the one who prints it on a cushion.
The NFL draft is theater. The actual game? That’s earned. And that’s where Sanders gets to rewrite the narrative—not with slogans, but with throws, reads, and resolve.
He acknowledged his growth areas. “I know I have to clean up some things in my game,” he said. He also knows the burden now rests on him to justify the Browns’ investment—”proving Coach Kevin Stefanski and Mr. Andrew Berry right,” as he put it.
Not every player enters the league with a clean runway. Some get turbulence early. But if there’s fuel in the tank and a destination still in sight, the journey is far from over.
That draft moment? It’s just a chapter.
And Sanders, still holding the pen, hasn’t stopped writing.
