Days after reports of Shedeur Sanders taking 4th reps, Tom Brady's ex-teammate gives his honest assessment of Browns QB

Shedeur Sanders landed with the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 NFL draft, but not in the way many predicted. Most believed he would be a first-round pick, but he shockingly fell to the fifth round. He was also the second quarterback Cleveland selected, creating a challenging situation for his rookie outlook.

He will reportedly enter Browns OTAs as the fourth quarterback on their depth chart, behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. Drew Bledsoe, a former teammate of Tom Brady, recently appeared on an episode of The Herd to discuss Sanders' outlook.

Bledsoe said:

"I thought he was a first-round talent. I don't know the guy, but it's still a mystery to me why he fell as far as he did. When I watch him, he's accurate, he throws with anticipation. The ones that are successful, you can almost see the future, you have to be able to anticipate, you have to throw guys open. If you wait to see a guy open, and especially as you rise to the NFL level, then you're behind and you're just not going to be successful. Shedeur seems to be able to anticipate well."

Bledsoe continued:

"It's not just the durability piece, but it's the mental toughness. Knowing that you're going to get hit the next play, but still standing in there and delivering the ball, and doing that over and over again. That's a hard thing to learn, and I don't know that you can learn it, and Shedeur seems to have that ability to take his hits and keep battling."

Drew Bledsoe expressed his confidence that, based on how he played during his college football career, Shedeur Sanders will be successful in the NFL. This may turn out to be true eventually, but he appears to have a long road ahead just to earn playing time for the Browns.

Bledsoe was in the NFL for 14 seasons and established himself as the face of the New England Patriots. However, an injury in the 2001 season paved the way for Tom Brady to take over. Bledsoe could not regain his starting role and was traded to the Bills at the end of the season.

Shedeur Sanders buried on Browns depth chart

Shedeur Sanders

Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot reported what she found to be Cleveland's plans for their quarterback position entering OTAs. She expects Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel to work with the first-team offense, while Joe Flacco and Shedeur Sanders split reps for the second unit.

According to this report, Sanders will open the offseason as the fourth quarterback on the Browns' roster. This suggests that he will need to step up significantly if he wants to earn playing time at some point during his rookie year.