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If Shedeur Sanders disappoints in the NFL, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has set his general manager up to take the fall.
The Browns have created a weird situation for themselves in training camp by having four quarterbacks competing for the Week 1 starting job. When they traded for Kenny Pickett and reunited with Joe Flacco, the moves made sense. As part of an attempt to be competitive with Deshaun Watson unavailable early in the season.
However, the decision to use not one, but two draft picks on QBs in April was a bizarre strategy. Especially when they used a fifth rounder on Colorado star Shedeur Sanders. Selecting him not only added another QB to the competition, but one with a high profile who realistically may not make the team.
There has been speculation that the decision to draft Sanders may have come from the top of the organization. As a public relations stunt to draw interest to Browns camp this summer. However, on Tuesday, owner Jimmy Haslam shut down that narrative and hung the decision on GM Andrew Berry.
Jimmy Haslam on the selection of Shedeur Sanders and the perception he told Andrew Berry to make the pick in the 5th round for #Browns pic.twitter.com/12nrRtp2je
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) July 29, 2025
“Listen, we have a good process. If you just told me Friday night, driving home, y’all are going to pick Shedeur, I would say that’s not happening,” Haslam said at Brown training camp. “But we had a conversation early that morning, and then we had a conversation later that day. I think we had the right people involved in the conversation at the end of the day.
“That’s Andrew Berry’s call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur. Just like who’s going to start or what play we’re going to call is Kevin (Stefanski’s) call. But that’s Andrew’s call. He made the call.”
Essentially, the Browns boss disavowed himself from the Sanders decision for better or worse. If Sanders ends up turning into an impact player for Cleveland, Berry will be heaped with praise. However, even then, he will still be questioned for using a valuable third rounder on Dillon Gabriel.
But if Sanders disappoints, which is a distinct possibility, the decision could end up being one of the final nails in the coffin of his tenure with the organization.
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