Shedeur Sanders Rejected the Ravens to Avoid Lamar Jackson
The Baltimore Ravens had plans to select Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the draft, with the number 141 pick, according to sources close to the league.
However, before the Ravens could announce the selection, Sanders informed Baltimore of his desire not to be part of a team with Lamar Jackson, where his playing opportunities would be limited.
Sanders was aware that Jackson, two-time MVP and one of the league’s most outstanding players, would not lose his starting quarterback position in Baltimore in the near future.
The message was clear: Sanders did not want to be drafted by Baltimore and preferred a team where he could have a greater chance of playing soon. Instead, the Ravens selected offensive lineman Carson Vinson with the 141st pick.
Three selections later, with the world of American football watching, the Cleveland Browns chose Sanders with pick number 144.
Sanders and the Browns will face the Ravens in Baltimore this Sunday, in a duel between teams with a 0-1 record.
Currently, Sanders is third on the Browns’ depth chart, behind Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Despite having a crowded quarterback room during training camp and the preseason, Sanders’ situation changed with Kenny Pickett’s trade to the Las Vegas Raiders and Tyler Huntley’s release, which opened a path for him to make Cleveland’s 53-man roster.
After a standout debut in Cleveland’s first preseason game, Sanders missed the second game due to an oblique injury. He struggled in the final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, who sacked him five times.
Sanders, Gabriel, and practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe have been leading Cleveland’s scout team in practices, as confirmed by quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave on Friday.
On Sunday, Sanders will be in Baltimore, where he could have had a full-time position if the events of April had been different. Sanders had the opportunity to be selected a few picks earlier in this year’s draft.
