BroBible
The Cleveland Browns used the 144th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Shedeur Sanders, stopping the polarizing quarterback’s incredible freefall. But Browns owner Jimmy Haslam wants everyone to know that taking Sanders was not his idea.
Haslam met with members of the media on Tuesday to discuss a number of topics. When the matter of drafting Sanders, who was taken just 50 picks after the Browns selected fellow quarterback Dillon Gabriel, came up, Haslam was quick to set the record straight.
#Browns Jimmy Haslam stresses that Shedeur Sanders was Andrew Berry’s pick, not his. pic.twitter.com/sD3yQYwSq8
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 29, 2025
“If you had told me Friday night [Day 2 of the NFL Draft, where the second and third round selections are made], driving home, y’all are gonna pick Shedeur I would have said ‘that’s not happening,'” Haslam told reporters Tuesday. “But we had a conversation early that morning [Day 3, where the fourth through seventh rounds take place] and we had a conversation later that day and we had the right people involved in that conversation.
“At the end of the day, that’s [general manager] Andrew Berry’s call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur. Just like who’s gonna start or what play we’re gonna call is [head coach] Kevin [Stefanski]’s call. But that’s Andrew’s call. He made the call.”
While Sanders hasn’t played a down for the Browns yet, he has impressed in training camp. Sanders went 9-for-9 with two touchdowns in a recent practice session, leading to speculation that he could win the starting job.
So why would Haslam choose now to distance himself from the pick?
Well, because he might already have a plan in place for Cleveland’s quarterback of the future. Recent reports linked both Haslam and the Browns organization to Texas Longhorns star Arch Manning. Haslam reportedly has a good relationship with the Manning family, and Arch is considered a potential top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
If that’s the case, Haslam could well be lining his team up to secure the services of the latest member of the Manning dynasty. Although if you listen to Haslam, the team may well need to wait a little longer.
The Browns’ owner told reporters that he expects Manning to remain in college for two more seasons, which would put him in the 2027 NFL Draft.
At this rate, Sanders may well have established himself as the team’s starting quarterback of the future by the time that rolls around.
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