Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders almost ended up with one of their AFC North rivals in the 2025 NFL Draft.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the Baltimore Ravens – Cleveland’s Week 2 opponent – wanted to draft Sanders in the fifth round. When Sanders heard about the Ravens’ plan to draft him, he requested that they didn’t, Schefter reports.
Sanders reportedly cited Baltimore’s starting quarterback, two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, as a reason he wished to go elsewhere. Given Jackson’s success, Sanders knew he would not have a real chance to compete for the starting job within in the first few years of his career.
The Ravens selected offensive tackle Carson Vinson with the No. 141 overall pick instead, and Sanders landed with the Browns three picks later, after Cleveland traded up to No. 144.
As of Week 2 of his rookie season, Sanders is listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the Browns’ roster. Veteran Joe Flacco remains the starter, and fellow rookie – and third-round pick – Dillon Gabriel is QB2.
Who is the Ravens’ backup quarterback now if it isn’t Sanders?
Ravens QB depth chart
- Lamar Jackson
- Cooper Rush
- Tyler Huntley (practice squad)
Jackson is the Ravens’ two-time MVP starting quarterback and widely considered one of the best at his position in the NFL. He signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension with Baltimore in 2023 to keep him with the Ravens through 2027.
Rush spent the last four years in a second stint with the Dallas Cowboys as Dak Prescott’s backup quarterback. He signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal with the Ravens this offseason that could be worth over $12 million with incentives.
Rush is the only other quarterback on Baltimore’s active roster, though the team also has Huntley back on its practice squad for a third stint after he spent part of training camp with the Browns. Huntley previously backed up Jackson in Baltimore between 2020 and 2023. He was named to his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2022.