It was supposed to be a coronation. Shedeur Sanders, fresh off a headline-hogging year at Colorado, had scouts whispering top-5, certified QB2 behind Cam Ward. Instead, the man got tossed into the NFL’s bargain bin for various reasons—Day 3, pick No. 144, fifth round. That isn’t a fall, that’s a freefall with no parachute. Cleveland Browns scooped him up after already taking Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in the third. And yeah, folks were side-eyeing the whole thing like, “You good, Stefanski?” Because let’s be real, that whole QB room feels more like a quarterback hoard than a plan.

Browns head coach, Kevin Stefanski, finally broke his silence on the Sanders pick on May 7. Sitting down with CBS Sports, he served up the usual calm-coach energy, but folks could hear the undertones. “Once you’re in the building, nobody really cares where you were drafted,” Stefanski said. “First round, fifth round, undrafted. I’ve been around so many great players that weren’t drafted. Clearly, [Shedeur] has the talent to go higher in the draft. Our job is to dive in and help him.”

Stefanski doubles down: “Shedeur certainly has things he can work on. But in terms of the person, in terms of the kid, who’s willing to work, I think that’s who we are getting. A guy who’s really not so concerned about where he landed… but is willing to put in the work.”

On paper, that sounds real noble. The kind of thing coaches say to make everything feel equal. But come on—Cleveland had two cracks before Round 5 to grab Shedeur. They picked Dillon Gabriel two rounds earlier. That isn’t trust, that’s insurance. They were betting he’d fall. They played the wait game. This wasn’t a move to build around him. It was a bargain-bin bet.

Let’s be honest—this Browns QB room? It’s straight-up chaos. Deshaun Watson’s out again after tweaking that Achilles. Kenny Pickett’s the guy Philly couldn’t wait to unload. Joe Flacco’s like 90 years old but played solid down in 2023 and took the Browns to the playoffs. And now you throw in two rookies? That isn’t a QB room, that’s a quarterback clearance rack. And Stefanski, who once schemed Case Keenum into an NFC Championship game, is clearly trying to hit the jackpot with one of these lotto tickets. Look, if we’re being honest, Shedeur Sanders’ probably QB5 right now.

Now maybe—just maybe—he sees Shedeur as more than just a scratch-off. Stefanski’s known for polishing off rough gems. But if the Browns really believed in Shedeur as the guy, they wouldn’t have waited until pick 144. That number is proof. It’s loud. The truth is, this is Shedeur’s burden to flip. He’s got to turn a snub into a storyline.

Robert Griffin III says NFL and Browns did Shedeur Sanders dirty from the jump

That Shedeur fall wasn’t just draft drama—it was a scandal in cleats. Robert Griffin III didn’t hold back on his podcast Outta Pocket. “Shedeur Sanders is in a situation where the NFL and the Cleveland Browns have set him up to sink or swim in Year 1,” RGIII said. “What I really mean by that is they set him up to fail.”

The Browns didn’t just grab one QB. They scooped four. Gabriel, Pickett, Flacco, Shedeur. That’s a lineup built for preseason chaos, not development. RGIII pointed out the obvious: fifth-round quarterbacks usually get scraps. Less reps. Less weapons. “He’s going into the offseason getting the fewest reps of all the quarterbacks,” RGIII said. And in the NFL, reps are currency. No reps? No shot.

Here’s where it gets dirty. The Browns knew damn well Shedeur would be stuck throwing to guys who won’t even make the roster. Third-string O-lines. Practice squad receivers. Meanwhile, the other 4 QBs probably get a slightly high-end audition. You call that fair? No. That’s putting him on stage with no mic and no lights.

“A lot of people think that this confident young man needs to be humbled,” RGIII continued. “There is no better way… than by having them not make an NFL roster and make it as hard as possible for them to make that NFL roster.” That’s a fact. It feels like the league—and maybe even Cleveland—is trying to teach Shedeur some imaginary lesson. Confidence isn’t arrogance. And even if it was? That still doesn’t justify the setup.

The good news? Pressure makes diamonds. And Shedeur is no backup. He’s got Prime blood. The man threw for over 37 tuddies and held down a 74% completion rate. All he needs is one shot—one real chance. If he gets that shot and flat-out blows it, then maybe he just wasn’t cut out for the NFL life.