"He is ice skating uphill": Louis Riddick claims Shedeur Sanders was always the third wheel after Browns owner denies NFL draft intervention

The saga involving Shedeur Sanders and his 2025 NFL draft fall gained another twist on Tuesday. Sanders was eventually picked by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, but according to Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, this was not the plan.

Halsem revealed to the media that it was the Browns' general manager who decided to draft Sanders. On Wednesday's edition of First Take, ESPN's Louis Riddick said this only complicates Sanders' time with the Browns.

"What it tells me is that this young man is ice skating uphill," Riddick said. "Because they are not in lockstep as far as how they view him within that organization."

In the lead-up to the 2025 NFL draft, Shedeur Sanders was regarded as one of the top quarterbacks to be selected in the first round. However, due to a variety of reasons, including concerns about Shedeur's attitude and about the effect his father, Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, may have on the NFL team that signed him, Shedeur's draft stock took a massive hit.

To make an already complex situation even more complicated, the Browns had already drafted a quarterback in the previous round. Dillon Gabriel (who led the Oregon Ducks to an undefeated Big Ten season) was picked in the third round, and no one expected Cleveland to take another young quarterback.

This revelation leaves Sanders in a difficult situation. He knows that some of the leaders in the team did not want him, while others were happy to get him. This fact could put the chances of him starting the Browns in the future in jeopardy.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski on Shedeur Sanders' progress

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has also spoken about Shedeur Sanders in the last 24 hours. However, he spoke about how Sanders has been faring at training camp, rather than the drama surrounding him coming to the team. Stefanski said on Wednesday:

"He's working extremely hard. All those guys are. We're still not yet through the installation schedule. We're still just introducing two minutes yesterday. We'll introduce some different distances today situationally. So I wouldn't really think much past that."

Stefanski has still not revealed who will be the Browns' starting quarterback for the 2025 season, which starts in September, but it is likely to be Joe Flacco, the veteran of the group.

Meanwhile, Sanders is slowly developing through training camp, and could join the roster as the third string quarterback.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

Cleveland Browns Nation! Check out the latest Cleveland Browns Schedule and dive into the Browns Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Krutik Jain