An ex-head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders was a firm believer in Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and he broke down the franchise’s plan for the star college quarterback before he was let go.
The Las Vegas Raiders were going to select Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft
Sanders was one of the best quarterbacks in college football last season at Colorado. Alongside his dad, NFL legend Deion Sanders, the Tyler, Texas native led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record, earning several accolades, including Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and a Second-team All-American selection.
Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders was projected by many NFL analysts to be a first-round pick. Shockingly, however, the 23-year-old fell all the way to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns eventually selected him.
Through eleven weeks, the Browns have been reluctant to start the former Colorado standout, instead mainly featuring third-round pick Dillon Gabriel amid a trying season. But with Gabriel now out this weekend in concussion protocol, Sanders will make his first NFL start against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Ironically, the Raiders were very close to drafting Sanders. In fact, the team’s former head coach, Antonio Pierce, recently noted that the Browns’ QB was one of the franchise’s top prospects before he was fired.
In a segment on “NFL Today,” Pierce affirmed his belief in Sanders’ talent as well as the Raiders’ owner Mark Davis’ plan for the young quarterback at the time.
Antonio Pierce and the Raiders were all in on Shedeur Sanders pic.twitter.com/Z8xz1F0p7R
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 23, 2025
The Las Vegas Raiders’ gamble at quarterback this offseason hasn’t paid off
Antonio Pierce was fired after going 4-13 last season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024. The franchise subsequently decided to go in a different direction, hiring legendary head coach Pete Carroll.
Shortly after, the Raiders acquired Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks and signed the veteran quarterback to a two-year extension. This decision has not paid dividends so far. Smith currently leads the NFL in interceptions with 13, and the Raiders are 2-8 in what has been another dismal season.
Sanders, therefore, has a chance today to show the Raiders what could’ve been. Pierce has no doubts that the Browns’ new starter is going to seize this opportunity and be a quarterback in this league for a long time. Overall, Sanders certainly makes this matchup of two AFC bottom-dwellers a lot more interesting.
