With a smile that lit up the room, Shedeur Sanders officially began his NFL journey in Cleveland. After a dramatic slide to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback arrived at the Browns’ facility on Thursday ahead of rookie minicamp.
His reaction to the surroundings made headlines—and so did his unmistakable personality.
Sanders Bringing Positivity and Humor to Browns Facility Visit
In a video shared by the Browns’ official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, Sanders was seen inspecting his new surroundings. He showed off a pair of Nike Air DT Max ’96 sneakers, a Browns team notebook, and his new orange No. 12 practice jersey. “I got everything I need to be successful,” Sanders said.
.@ShedeurSanders seeing his locker for the first time! #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/S9fzrHZpud
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 8, 2025
Choosing whatever team-issued equipment to wear was one of Sanders’ first responsibilities. As he began his existence with the team that selected him 144th overall, he looked through the Browns memorabilia in his locker and chose a long-sleeve brown shirt—“a small but symbolic moment in Sanders’ recent football journey.”
Sanders’ drop in the draft was unexpected. Widely projected as a Day 2 pick, he remained on the board until the Browns selected him in the fifth round, even though the team had already picked another quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, late in the third round.
Despite the setback, Sanders remained upbeat throughout the draft process and carried that same energy into his first day in Cleveland.
.@ShedeurSanders looking for Coach Stefanski to wish him a happy birthday and wanted to make sure we got him a cake 🎂 😂 pic.twitter.com/YrcPo9qN2y
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 8, 2025
Another video captured his reaction upon seeing the practice field for the first time. “I ain’t walkin’ out there, I can’t go out there, it’s got a vibe,” Sanders said with a grin. Then, breaking into a playful tone, he added, “Oh yeah, y’all gotta tell Coach Stefanski I had a birthday. Y’all supposed to bring a cake to practice.”
Sanders’ reference to Kevin Stefanski’s 43rd birthday didn’t go unnoticed either. “Y’all gotta tell Coach Stefanski happy birthday. Y’all supposed to bring a cake to practice,” he said, blending humor with charm during his facility tour.
With the rookie minicamp kicking off from Friday through Sunday, Sanders joins a quarterback group featuring Dillon Gabriel, veteran Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and the recovering Deshaun Watson.
Reports suggest Gabriel is expected to be ahead of Sanders on the offseason depth chart, but the quarterback competition is far from over.
Whether or not Sanders rises in the rotation is uncertain, but his charisma is already resonating. As the Browns prepare for a season of questions and competition at quarterback, one thing is certain—Shedeur Sanders is ready, and he’s bringing good vibes with him.