Browns: “I thought Tom Brady retired”: NFL fans react as Browns QB Shedeur Sanders runs drills in number 12 jersey

Shedeur Sanders' jersey number has sparked discussion since the Cleveland Browns selected him with the 144th pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Sanders wore No. 2 at Colorado, where the jersey was later retired.

At Cleveland, No. 2 was already assigned to wide receiver/return specialist DeAndre Carter, so Sanders was given No. 12. Reacting to the change, Sanders said he would have been happy with No. 99 as well, adding that he just wants to play football.

Fans reacted on X on Friday after Sanders wore jersey No. 12 and threw the ball for the first time as a Browns quarterback during practice.

“I thought Tom Brady retired,” a fan wrote.

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As some fans recalled Brady's jersey number, others expressed their excitement about Sanders' journey with the Browns:

"I sincerely believe the Browns wanted Shedeur but needed to get him at a discount because of DW. I just hope they give him the chance to prove he’s HIM," one fan said.

"No one has a problem with the team recording and putting it out but when he records his self and put it out it's a problem people are hilarious and rooted in hate," another fan said.

"I don’t care what nobody say but you cannot sit here and tell me that he do not move just like Brady," another fan wrote.

Skip Bayless calls out Tom Brady over comments on Shedeur Sanders' draft process

Shedeur Sanders had a dramatic draft weekend. While many analysts projected him to be a top-five pick, he slid out of the first four rounds only to be picked by Cleveland in the fifth round.

On Friday, Skip Bayless called out Tom Brady on X for saying he had no inside information on who the Raiders would pick.

"Tom Brady mentored and coached Shedeur Sanders all the way up through high school and into college and through college," Bayless said. ... "Maybe you watched Shedeur evolve as a quarterback, and you just said, 'No, he just can't play in this league.'"

Bayless recalled how GM John Spytek said that when they look at a quarterback, they'd be fools not to involve Brady in the selection process.

About the author

Prasen is an NFL/College Sports analyst at Sportskeeda. A B.Tech/Civil Engineering graduate, he has two years of experience writing content.

For Prasen, providing historical angles relevant to the story is important, as it can give the reader useful information and help them relate it to the present. He thinks this keeps the content unique rather than just a bland reporting of facts. Prasen believes in fact-checking and researching relevant information as per the headline and context. He hates clickbait or misleading the reader.

A fan of the Colorado Buffaloes since Deion Sanders took over as coach, Prasen expects Coach Prime to make the Buffs a national championship contender. Nick Saban is his favorite all-time coach, while Baker Mayfield and Caitlin Clark are his favorite players. Prasen considers Vince Young coming up clutch for the Texas Longhorns in the dying seconds of the 2017 national championship game against the USC Trojans as the most iconic moment of all time.

Per Prasen, College Sports is competitive and garners attention but it is just the beginning, where a student-athlete can show their skills and potential to make it to the big leagues. When he is not researching and writing, Prasen’s hobbies include pursuing higher studies and playing sports.

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Edited by Ribin Peter