Rich Eisen slams Shedeur Sanders’ decision to wear Tom Brady’s iconic jersey no. 12

Shedeur Sanders will don a very iconic number in his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns - 12, worn by none other than seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. But Rich Eisen is dumbfounded at the decision, as he said on Tuesday's episode of his eponymous show:

"The last thing you're gonna do is say I want a certain number. You know what an absolute media feeding frenzy there would be?"

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Both quarterbacks have a deep relationship with each other. The two first worked out on the field in 2020, two years before Sanders joined Brady's TB12 brand.

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12 is also the inverse of 21, which Sanders' father Deion wore throughout his career.

Shawne Merriman think Shedeur Sanders' draft slide is "the best thing" to have happened to him

There was much mockery and malicious rejoicing among Shedeur Sanders' detractors when he slipped out of the first round, then the second day, and finally all the way into the fifth round of the draft. For them, it justified their notion that "he is not good enough to be worth the media hype".

However, former linebacker Shawne Merriman has a different perspective on it. Speaking to Kay Adams on Monday, he said:

“He can’t see it now, but him slipping might’ve been the best thing that has ever happened to him. Because when he ends up being a starter — and he will, he’s going to be the starter at some point — the expectations now, the weight is off his shoulders… I feel like Shedeur Sanders is in a position now where he can’t lose.”

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Meanwhile, Robert Griffin III claimed on his Outta Pocket podcast that Sanders could still succeed despite seemingly being set up to fail as the highly marketable "headliner" of their "dysfunction" that currently also involves Super Bowl champions Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel:

“He sells tickets. He sells jerseys. He sells confidence to his teammates, who have said they can’t wait to play with him and non-teammates. Top-level players across the NFL are talking about how good of a player Shedeur Sanders is and how he was done dirty in the NFL Draft.”

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The Browns' OTAs begin on May 21 and will last until June 6.

About the author

Andre Castillo is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s degree in Journalism. He has over seven years of working experience and has also covered MMA with FanSided, wrestling with The Sportster, and automobiles with Hot Cars.

Andre follows the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders, mostly because he likes their colors. His favorite position is tight end, and players like Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce have always drawn Andre's attention when watching a game. Bill Belichick is his favorite coach, and his all-time favorite Super Bowl is the XLII edition, when the underdog New York Giants upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots.

If he can change one moment in NFL history, it will be from the NFC Championship Game in January 2019. In that game, a highly controversial no-call cost the Saints what would have been Drew Brees' second Super Bowl visit, where he would have faced Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Andre is always on the lookout for fresh perspectives in a story and ensures complete factual accuracy by double-checking all information before using it in his articles. He has an innate understanding of how to present information in an efficient and compelling way.

Outside the writing realm, Andre is a professional licensed teacher. His hobbies include watching UFC, MotoGP, playing the piano, and travelling.

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Edited by Andre Castillo