Even while he watched his name slip through the draft boards, Shedeur Sanders made a rare move for a rookie quarterback in April’s NFL Draft. He turned down the Baltimore Ravens. They had planned to grab Sanders in the fifth round at pick no. 141 but pulled back after he made it clear he didn’t want to be Lamar Jackson’s backup. The 2x MVP holds a secure spot as Baltimore’s starter. The Ravens instead chose OL Carson Vinson, while the Browns traded up and took Sanders three picks later. And Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones, close friend of the Sanders family, has captured the essence of Sanders’ decision.

On Politically Raw With Pacman Jones, Jones shared a blunt take that cut to the heart of the matter. “Me, personally, why in the f— would I want to go play behind Lamar Jackson? What am I going to learn from Lamar Jackson? First of all, I don’t run the ball. I can throw the ball better than him, which is a fact. And he just got $200 million. Why would I want to go behind the m—–f—— league MVP, though? Does that make any sense, bro? – That’s like him going to the Bills.” Jones paints the picture of Sanders rejecting a limited backup role to a locked-in star, comparing it to someone refusing to sit behind Josh Allen or Joe Burrow. Jones exposed the core of the fallout; Sanders wanted a chance to play now, not wait years in Lamar’s shadow.

Behind the scenes, the Ravens made a curious trade in the fourth round that looked like a strategic move. They had the 136th overall pick, but they added a sixth-round pick to it and traded it with the Titans to get the 141st pick along with the no. 178th (sixth-round pick). Ravens GM Eric DeCosta noted it was “analytics,” but the move appeared to buy time and gauge Sanders’ interest. The franchise didn’t want to waste a draft pick if Sanders wasn’t all in. When they heard he preferred playing elsewhere, Baltimore quickly pivoted. But the Ravens were not the only ones who were on the lookout for Shedeur.

Three teams, not one, had Shedeur Sanders penciled in on their draft lists. As former NFL QB Cam Newton recently revealed, apart from the Ravens, the Browns and the Eagles also wanted to sign Sanders. But as Newton also added, “All money ain’t good money… he knew he wouldn’t play unless Lamar or Jalen [Hurts] got hurt.” All of this ultimately culminated in the move to join the Browns.

Sanders stayed diplomatic when asked about the draft drama after Cleveland’s 41-17 loss to Baltimore. “My response is I’m focused on the now. I don’t really talk about anything in the past, and whatever happened in the past, it is what it is. – You wouldn’t believe my memory don’t even go back that far. I don’t remember anything [pre] draft. I remember I’m here, I go to practice every day, and there’s a 24-hour rule.” But even with Sanders’ focus on the present, the irony of his draft choice stings now more than ever. Especially with where he is with the Browns.

Shedeur Sanders’ shifting sands in Cleveland

Landing with the Browns didn’t immediately clear a playing path for Sanders. He entered the team as QB4 behind veteran Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. When Pickett got traded to the Raiders, it looked like the road to starting QB would become easier. But Bailey Zappe also joined the practice squad in August, further complicating the QB churn in Cleveland. Flacco is now locked in as the starter. Gabriel has earned the backup role thanks to a better preseason showing. HC Kevin Stefanski made it clear Sanders is the emergency quarterback, ready only if multiple injuries hit, but not scheduled for meaningful reps anytime soon. Sanders avoided being in Lamar Jackson’s shadow, but in doing so, ended up at the very place he didn’t want to be: the backup’s backup.

Adding to the drama, rumors stirred that Sanders was losing practice time to Bailey Zappe, who was reportedly taking scout team reps. The Browns staff denied this, clarifying that all three quarterbacks cycle through scout duties to mimic upcoming opponents. Practice reps may be split, but no confirmed benching has been announced. Browns’ QB coach Bill Musgrave had proudly noted that both Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders were doing an excellent job with the scout team. “They immersed themselves, both of them in the game plan, did a lot of drill work on the side both before and after practice. And then they get some scout team reps so they can get some balls airborne and make sure that they’re staying in sync. Of course, because really Dillon [is] one play away and Shedeur [is] two plays away.” 

Despite no game action in the season’s first two weeks, Sanders’ story keeps the spotlight on him. But his path remains narrow, nestled behind Flacco and Gabriel. Whether in Baltimore or Cleveland, Sanders is still searching for the right opening to prove his worth on the field. The Browns clash against the Packers in Week 3. And we’ll see Shedeur on the sidelines, watching, learning, and waiting for that chance to make his regular-season debut.