Sportsnaut
A new NFL rumor reveals that rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders blocked the chance to be selected by a Super Bowl contender just a few picks before the Cleveland Browns took him in Round 5 of April’s NFL Draft.
“A consensus had been reached, and the Baltimore Ravens were planning to select Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round at the 141st overall selection,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on this morning’s Sunday NFL Countdown. “But when he found out, he got word back to the Ravens that he would prefer not to be in a place where he would be competing to back up Lamar Jackson.
“He wanted to go to a place where he could play. So when the Ravens got that message, they pivoted and went in a different direction with the 141st selection. And three picks later, the Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur Sanders.”
At first glance, it seems silly for the former Colorado Buffaloes star to pass on a chance to join an elite franchise that is known for player development. However, Lamar Jackson is only 28 years old and is locked into two more seasons as the Ravens’ starting QB. And with two MVP awards on his resume, it would take something catastrophic for that to change.
Football fans are well aware of how confident Sanders is in his abilities. So it makes sense that he feels that if he got a chance to compete for a starting role this summer, he would win it. And that seemed possible in Cleveland. However, he didn’t plan for the Browns to always start Joe Flacco. As well as the front office being higher on the player they took two rounds before him, Dillon Gabriel.
Sanders will be in uniform on Sunday for the Browns game versus the Ravens as Cleveland’s QB3 behind Flacco and Gabriel.
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