After Shedeur Sanders slid all the way to the fifth round and was taken 144th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, fans were quick to draw comparisons to the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady. He, too, went late in the draft, taken 199th overall by the New England Patriots.
While Brady wasn’t nearly as heralded as Sanders coming out of college, the end product does make his draft placement a real question mark. With the relationship the two share, the NFL legend revealed that he reached out to the youngster after his draft day slide with some advice.
Shedeur Sanders Has a Clear Goal After Tom Brady’s Advice
During an appearance on the IMPAULSIVE podcast with Logan Paul, Brady revealed that he reached out to Sanders due to his draft sliding. Describing their relationship as close, he made sure to let the rookie know that his real work was beginning after the draft.
After the second day of the Browns’ rookie minicamp, Sanders appeared in front of the media to answer some questions. The comments and advice from Brady were also brought up and the Colorado alum had a clear picture in his mind for the future.
“My story is gonna be similar. I was a late-round draft pick, but we’re here now, so none of that stuff matters. I’m just excited to be here and ready to work.” His comments echo exactly what Brady said had to be the mentality for any incoming rookie.
#Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders on what he took from Tom Brady reaching out to him after being a Day 3 draft pick: “My story is gonna be similar.”
(via @JJCoop25)pic.twitter.com/U46gG7T197
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 10, 2025
“Dude, whatever happens, wherever you go, that’s your first day. Day 2 matters more than the draft,” was the exact message the seven-time Super Bowl Champion said he texted Sanders. “Use it as motivation. You’re gonna get your chances, just go take advantage of it.”
The case for Sanders is clear. The first challenge in his path is winning the quarterback competition in Cleveland. With Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was taken two rounds ahead of him, competing for the job, Sanders has to make his mark over them.
For that process, Brady had some additional advice as well. “He’s got to show up every day. What I say about leadership, as a quarterback, you have to be a leader. And to me, a leader is, ‘Do I care about my teammates? And do I care about what we’re trying to accomplish?’ Rules 1 and 2, and I’ll say that to every quarterback I ever come across.”
The path Sanders wants to follow, to scale the heights of Brady, is certainly an admirable one. And the first step in that potential journey has begun.