Shedeur Sanders knew he’d be under the microscope. That’s what happens when you’re not just a talented quarterback but also the son of one of the most electric personalities in football history. Still, no one expected him to wait until Day 3 of the NFL Draft to hear his name called.
Yet, here we are. The former Colorado star was finally scooped up by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. The slide? Controversial. Some scouts blamed the depth of this year’s QB class, others pointed fingers at off-field noise and “parental involvement.” A league exec even told USA Today, “Some of the things his dad said… that weighed on people’s minds.”
But to the Sanders family, none of that drama matters anymore.
They showed up big for Shedeur’s first locker room moment as a Brown. When the team dropped a behind-the-scenes reel on social, you could feel the love. Mom Pilar chimed in with a “Go baby!” Deion Jr. called it “a beautiful thing.” And Coach Prime? He dropped a celebratory, emoji-filled comment that ended with a curious note: “Let’s go #2-I mean #12.”
Why is Shedeur wearing Tom Brady’s number?
It turns out Shedeur’s new jersey number-12-is more than just a digit. It’s a nod to a conversation he had with someone who knows a thing or two about draft day disappointment: Tom Brady.
Brady revealed on Impaulsive that he texted Shedeur after the draft. “I told him, wherever you go, that’s Day One. The draft doesn’t define you,” Brady said. It’s a message rooted in experience. The GOAT was famously picked 199th in 2000.
That advice stuck. And now, Shedeur walks into the Browns facility with Brady’s number on his back-not as a comparison, but as a quiet declaration.
When Shedeur pulled his crisp orange practice jersey out of the bag, teammates took notice. “That orange is clean,” someone said. But beyond the flash, it was the number that did the talking.
The journey’s just starting, and with family support and some high-level mentorship in his corner, Shedeur’s got all the motivation he needs. Now it’s about proving it, one rep at a time.
As ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently pointed out, “He has the traits to become a starter. The rest depends on development and opportunity.” For the Browns-and for the Sanders family-that opportunity begins now.
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