It turns out there was truth to the Shedeur Sanders-Ravens reports from last week.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Baltimore was prepared to take Shedeur with the 141st overall pick in the fifth-round just ahead of the Browns in April’s NFL Draft. But the Colorado star said he didn’t want to go there and backup two-time MVP Lamar Jackson for the length of his rookie contract.
Advertisement
Sanders’ admission, while understandable, wasn’t a good look in a lot of people’s eyes. And now his dad has revealed that the Ravens weren’t the only team they turned down before Shedeur was taken by Cleveland.
Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) at the line of scrimmage in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Deion Sanders says Ravens weren’t only call
Appearing on “New Heights” with the Kelce brothers this week, Deion Sanders shared that the his son also didn’t want to be drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles to backup Jalen Hurts because he wouldn’t have a realistic chance of being a starter.
Advertisement
“How in the world can somebody fault him for thinking, ‘Why in the world would I go back up Lamar for 10 more years?’ Who comes in with that mindset?” Deion asked. “Where do these guys come from that sit on these platforms and say, ‘You should’ve sat behind and learned the game and developed.’ When have the pros developed anybody?”
“By the time you get to the NFL they expect you to know what you need to do and do it, or somebody else is gonna get in there and do it,” the Hall of Famer argued. “… I’ve never sat on the bench and said ‘I’ve learned a lot today.’ … Who learns sitting on the bench?”
Prime believes son will get a chance in 2025
Despite his son being the third-string QB on Kevin Stefanski’s team behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel, Coach Prime is confident that Shedeur will get an opportunity to show what he can do at some point this season.
Advertisement
“It’s gonna go down this year,” Deion predicted. “He’s gonna get a shot.”
Perhaps the two-time Super Bowl champ is trying to speak into existence. But with the Browns’ upset win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Flacco has bought himself at least one more week running the Cleveland offense over his first-year understudies.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.