Controversy at the quarterback position is nothing new for the Cleveland Browns. By signing Shedeur Sanders in the draft, the franchise is threatening to shoot itself in the foot once again. A commentary.

Shedeur Sanders had to wait three days for a call from the NFL in the 2025 NFL Draft. With the 144th pick (fifth round), the quarterback finally landed with the Cleveland Browns.

Highly touted, he fell hard. Sanders had certainly imagined his leap into the NFL going more smoothly.

All picks in the NFL Draft

The son of NFL legend Deion Sanders experienced an unprecedented fall. Instead of being a top pick early in the first round, he ended up as a gray mouse.

With the signing of the polarizing playmaker, the Browns are throwing additional fuel into an already heated quarterback room.

Cleveland Browns: Sanders adds to quarterback dilemma

In Cleveland, the quarterback situation is currently causing more question marks than exclamation points.

Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett are already under contract. With Dillon Gabriel and Sanders, two rookies will be joining the team after the draft.

The chronicle of scandal-prone pro Watson is well documented. The 29-year-old, who is currently injured, has made more negative headlines off the field than positive ones on the field during his time with the Browns.

Negative reports have also dogged Sanders in recent weeks. Reports about “character questions” have been rife, not least because the youngster and his father regularly attract media attention with their statements. Before the draft, Sanders senior announced that his son would be one of the first players to be selected.

The media circus surrounding Sanders even caught the attention of the current US president. Via “Truth Social,” Donald Trump weighed in and, in light of Sanders’ free fall in the draft, asked, “What’s wrong with the NFL owners, are they stupid?”

It doesn’t look like the hype surrounding the young playmaker will die down anytime soon and that the Browns will be able to ease him into the NFL.

Unclear QB situation at the Browns: Hype surrounding Shedeur Sanders could explode

Headlines about Sanders are likely to be the order of the day, further fueling a quarterback room that, from a purely sporting perspective, is already bursting at the seams.

“There are only a limited number of training sessions, a limited number of plays that can be practiced, and a limited number of preseason games. How are the Browns even going to be able to evaluate all their quarterbacks?” asked NFL expert Brian Baldinger during the live broadcast of the draft.

Colleague Daniel Jeremiah added: “You’d have to kick someone out pretty quickly.”

Currently, there is no clear pecking order. All five quarterbacks – including the two rookies – are likely to be eyeing playing time.

Sure, competition raises the level. But too many cooks spoil the broth.

Shedeur Sanders: Wait for it … Legendary?

For Sanders, it’s now time to shake off the days surrounding the draft, silence his critics with his athletic performance, and show off his “Legendary” slogan not just next to him, but also on the field.

Then he could turn out to be a stroke of luck in the fifth round and, in the best-case scenario, have a relatively “easy” path to establishing himself as a starter.

However, there is also a scenario in which the Browns have set themselves up for another fall by picking the extroverted quarterback. And considering the last few years, the ground is almost out of sight.