It took days, but the Cleveland Browns eventually stopped Shedeur Sanders' slide in the 2025 NFL Draft. With the 144th pick in the draft, the Browns decided to take the plunge on Sanders.
It was a precipitous fall for the former Colorado quarterback, who was projected as high as a first rounder according to some analysts. But if Sanders was upset about his fall, he didn't show it. After being drafted, Sanders celebrated the move and said he was "thankful" for the opportunity.
But how did Sanders and the Browns really feel the moment the team took him off the board? We finally know after the team released footage of its draft day phone call with Sanders.
"Let's get ready to go to work and prove everyone who passed on you wrong"
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 30, 2025
the moment the phone rang for @ShedeurSanders was one to remember 📞 pic.twitter.com/7ZPXQadnwO
Turns out, it was a pretty standard draft-day chat. Browns general manager Andrew Berry acknowledged it was a long weekend for Sanders before telling him, "You gotta come in. You gotta work hard. You gotta earn your job, earn you keep. It doesn't matter where you're taken, it matters what you do from this point forward."
Before handing the phone over to Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Berry told Sanders to "prove everyone who passed on you wrong."
Sanders seemed excited about the opportunity. After the call, he donned a Browns cap and flashed a big smile.
And ... that was it. There was no outrageous response from Sanders about dropping in the draft. There was no disappointment about going to the Browns. None of that was expected, but Sanders' actions were under a microscope after anonymous NFL executives ripped the quarterback in the lead up to the draft.
The Browns weren't exempt from that treatment either. Internet sleuths tried to read body language of the team's reaction after the Sanders pick was announced. Some claimed the Browns were not happy about the pick or forced into making it due to the muted response from Stefanski and Berry.
Further sleuthing revealed that's how both men reacted to essentially every pick the team made during the 2025 NFL Draft.
For all those haters that are bothered by the @Browns lack of emotion during the @ShedeurSanders pick. Just watch this@RichEisenShow @Browns_Daily @NathanZegura @joethomas73 @BeauBishop @BGSUGibbs @DeionSanders @DeionSandersJr @gmfb @GetUpESPN @MaryKayCabot @KenCarmanShow pic.twitter.com/b3Mq0n1UsU
— Suat Bakar (@lilsurock) April 29, 2025
Wednesday's video should put that whole conspiracy theory to rest. As draft day phone calls go, this one was just like the rest.
Given the situation — Sanders' fall in the draft, the Browns' crowded quarterback room and the anonymous reports — Sanders will continue to be a major storyline as he competes for a spot on the Browns.
It's more attention than most fifth-round picks generate, but that was always going to be the price of stopping Sanders' draft-day slide.
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